Our societies have become very crisis-prone. This book explores crises and the methods of anticipation, management and reconstruction, and considers a risk-crisis-territorial development continuum. The aim is to better understand a widely used concept and clarify the methods of action in the field of crisis management. The different forms of learning proposed to better face future crises are also questioned. This book invites us to analyze the resources available to support crisis management and reconstruction, and consider the unequal access to these resources in different territories in order to design future territorial strategies. This often results in a form of territorial inertia after the crises. However, some innovate, imagine renewed territories, prepare for reconstruction, or even recompose territories now in order to make them more resilient. The crisis can then be the driving force or the accelerator of these changes and contribute to the emergence of new practices, or even new urban and territorial utopias.

Our societies have become very crisis-prone. This book explores crises and the methods of anticipation, management and reconstruction, and considers a risk-crisis-territorial development continuum. The aim is to better understand a widely used concept and clarify the methods of action in the field of crisis management. The different forms of learning proposed to better face future crises are also questioned. This book invites us to analyze the resources available to support crisis management and reconstruction, and consider the unequal access to these resources in different territories in order to design future territorial strategies. This often results in a form of territorial inertia after the crises. However, some innovate, imagine renewed territories, prepare for reconstruction, or even recompose territories now in order to make them more resilient. The crisis can then be the driving force or the accelerator of these changes and contribute to the emergence of new practices, or even new urban and territorial utopias.

This book examines the problems of boundary demarcation and its impact on territorial disputes, and offers techniques to manage and resolve the resulting conflicts. Historically, most civil conflicts and internal wars have been directly related to boundary or territorial disputes. Cross-border discord directly affects the sustenance and welfare of local populations, often resulting in disease, impoverishment, and environmental damage as well as creating refugees. Although the impact of territorial disputes is great, they can often be settled through bilateral, and sometimes multilateral, agreements or international arbitration. This book sets out to probe into the problems of existing techniques on boundary demarcation and to test their possible impacts on boundary and territorial disputes. Various factors and their influences on cross-border tensions are tested, either qualitatively or quantitatively. After close examination of dozens of the most significant cases, the book presents various alternative solutions to the achievement of cross-border cooperation in disputed territories. An ‘art of avoiding war’ is included within the book, comprising six key schemes and five negotiating techniques. The comparative advantages, costs and benefits of each of these is analyzed and evaluated. This book will help guide practitioners in territorial disputes and will be of interest to students of conflict management, international security, peace and conflict studies, political violence and IR in general.

Prompted by the de facto secession of Crimea in early 2014, Law, Territory and Conflict Resolution explores the role of law in territorial disputes, and therefore sheds light on the legal ‘realities’ in territorial conflicts. Seventeen scholars with backgrounds in comparative constitutional law and international law critically reflect on the well-established assumption that law is ‘part of the solution’ in territorial conflicts and ask whether the law cannot equally be ‘part of the problem’. The volume examines theory, practice, legislation and jurisprudence from various case studies, thus offering further insights on the following complex issue: can law act as an effective instrument for the governance of territorial disputes and conflicts?

By bringing into dialogue modern systems theory and international relations, this text provides theoretically innovative and empirically rich perspectives on conflicts in world society. This collection contrasts Niklas Luhmann’s theory of world society in modern systems theory with more classical approaches to the study of conflicts, offering a fresh perspective on territorial conflicts in international relations. It includes chapters on key issues such as: conflicts and human rights conflicts in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa war and violence Greek-Turkish relations conflict theory the role of states in world societal conflicts legal territorial disputes in Australia hegemony and conflict in global law conflict management after 9/11. While all contributions draw from the theory of world society in modern systems theory, the authors offer rich multi-disciplinary perspectives which bring in concepts from international relations, peace and conflict studies, sociology, law and philosophy. Territorial Conflicts in World Society will appeal to international relations specialists, peace and conflict researchers and sociologists.

Table of contents

Redrawing the Map to Promote Peace, by Jaroslav Tir, primarily focuses on the management of territorial disputes and how they are altered by territorial change. Territorial shifts can sometimes lead to war, which is why Tir explores the contributing factors that lead to these disputes. He states two primary variables associated with the change-dispute relationship: the value of the territory in question and how the territorial changes occur. Tir also discusses three types of territorial change: interstate territorial transfers, secessions, and unifications. Despite the likelihood of territorial dispute stemming from territorial changes, this book provides evidence supporting the claim that territorial change can be handled in a manner that could decrease the probability of dispute. Tir offers insight into some contributing factors of these disputes and how they impact the hope for peace in the future.