Martin Gubsch

Associate Fellow

Martin Gubsch is an Associate Fellow in PRIF’s Research Depart­ment Glocal Junctions. His research focuses on climate change, environ­mental move­ments and trans­formations of rural space in Colombia.

Martin Gubsch
gubsch(at)prif.org
 Press photo

CV

| since 2025
Associate Fellow at PRIF

| 2021–2025
Doctoral Researcher at PRIF

| 2018
Internship, German-Colombian Peace Institute (CAPAZ)

| 2016–2020
Master of Arts – Latin American Studies, University of Hamburg

| 2012–2015
Bachelor of Arts – Social and Cultural Anthropo­logy, University of Vienna

PhD Project

Climate and environ­mental changes are massively transforming agricultural spaces in many parts of the world: soil is losing organic matter due to warming between droughts and floods, insects and especially plant pests are multi­plying more. In addition, there is erosion and destruction due to direct inter­ventions in nature, such as extractive raw material extraction or mono­cultures. These changes are understood and perceived differently by the people affected. Perceptions of nature, land and climate are shaped by different local cultural traditions, but are increasingly inter­twined with debates and environ­mental organi­zations of a global dimension. In addition, the large-scale projects of globally active extraction companies have a concrete impact on the ground.

The dissertation project investi­gates inter­sections of these multi-axial problems by examining exemplary conflicts over territories in Colombia. The project analyzes local responses to very concrete global environ­mental problems on the basis of the positions and context of environ­mental movements, peasant organi­zations and local political repre­sentatives.

Highlights

Resisting Energy Transition?

[Translate to Englisch:] New PRIF Spotlight sheds light on the protests in La Guajira, Colombia.

Making Projects Work

A wind turbine stands in a barren landscape, in front of it is a sign that reads “Parque eólico Jepírachi”. New PRIF Report on conflicts and participation processes in the construction of wind parks in La Guajira, Colombia

Publications

  • Making Projects Work
    | 2025
    Gubsch, Martin (2025): Making Projects Work. Conflict and Participatory Processes in Wind Park Construction in La Guajira, Colombia, PRIF Report, 1, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/prifrep2501
    ISBN: 978-3-946459-99-6
  • Resisting Energy Transition? Understanding Roadblocks in Northern Colombia
    | 2024
    Gubsch, Martin; García Conejero, Elena (2024): Resisting Energy Transition? Understanding Roadblocks in Northern Colombia, PRIF Spotlight, 4, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/prifspot2404
  • Protests Against New Fracking Projects in Colombia
    | 2021
    Gubsch, Martin (2021): Protests Against New Fracking Projects in Colombia, PRIF Blog.
    Publication

Further Activities

| 2021–2023
Co-Speaker of PRIF's Postgraduate Colloquium