Klepeis is a professor of geography and an expert in human-nature relations. In his lecture, he spoke about the protection of church forests in northern Ethiopia. The forests surround churches and are often over 800 years old. The church forests are considered sacred because they are used for religious ceremonies and as burial sites. Their existence is threatened by the expansion of agriculture and population growth. The forests are therefore increasingly being surrounded by stone walls. But are these really the solution? And what does this tell us about the conceptualization of nature? These and other questions were explored in the Landau Peace Lecture, which was recorded and can be viewed on our YouTube channel.

Klepeis is a professor of geography and an expert in human-nature relations. In his lecture, he spoke about the protection of church forests in northern Ethiopia. The forests surround churches and are often over 800 years old. The church forests are considered sacred because they are used for religious ceremonies and as burial sites. Their existence is threatened by the expansion of agriculture and population growth. The forests are therefore increasingly being surrounded by stone walls. But are these really the solution? And what does this tell us about the conceptualization of nature? These and other questions were explored in the Landau Peace Lecture, which was recorded and can be viewed on our YouTube channel.