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K.J.M.B. Bout
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The accelerating global energy transition has intensified demand for the minerals and agricultural commodities required for so-called “green” technologies, driving a rapid expansion of extractive industries. While these processes are commonly framed as necessary and sustainable, they often generate severe social, environmental, and spiritual harms, disproportionately affecting Indigenous communities in the Global South and women. These harms do not occur in isolation; they compound and reinforce one another through intersecting structures of power related to race, gender, class, and coloniality, producing intersectional experiences of marginalization.
This thesis examines how extractivism for the energy transition is experienced and resisted through intersectional decolonial and gender justice perspectives, asking: "What do intersectional decolonial and gender justice perspectives reveal about the impacts of and resistances to extractive industries, grounded in the case of Iximulew (Guatemala), and how can these inform more inclusive international governance approaches?"
The research is grounded in a qualitative case study in the region around El Estor, Iximulew (an Indigenous name for Guatemala) where Indigenous Maya Q’eqchi’ communities are affected by nickel mining and palm oil monocultivation. Both activities are closely linked to the global energy transition: nickel is a key input in battery production, while palm oil is widely used for biofuel. The study centers lived experiences and Indigenous knowledge systems that are often underrepresented or actively repressed in academic and policy debates. It combines interviews with community members, human and environmental rights defenders, women leaders, journalists, and activists, alongside participatory research and document analysis. Data are analyzed through reflexive thematic and constructivist approaches grounded in an intersectional decolonial ecofeminist framework.
The findings show that understanding extractivism in El Estor requires first engaging the Q’eqchi’ cosmovision, which offers counter-hegemonic conceptions of Territory, justice, and development. Territory is understood as a living, relational entity encompassing humans, nonhuman beings, ancestors, and spirits. Justice and development are grounded in balance, reciprocity, care, intergenerational responsibility, and a collective vision of Buen Vivir (“Living Well”). These perspectives stand in sharp contrast to extractivist logics rooted in colonial and patriarchal hierarchies, accumulation, and short-term profit.
Testimonies from El Estor reveal extractivism as a multidimensional process of dispossession, harm, and resistance. Beyond territorial loss and environmental degradation, extractive industries erode social fabrics, undermine spiritual relationships with Territory, and produce long-term psychological and collective wounds. These impacts are deeply gendered. Indigenous women face intersecting marginalization—including systemic exclusion, intensified care burdens, and heightened exposure to gender-based violence—while also emerging as central agents of resistance.
Through a constructivist analysis, the thesis demonstrates how extractivism, coloniality, and patriarchy intersect across multiple domains: authority, economy, knowledge, subjectivity, and gender. Together, they form an intersectional structure of domination. At the same time, counter-hegemonic resistance and healing emerge from within these structures.
Finally, the thesis connects local struggles in Iximulew to global governance by examining the UN Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights. While the Treaty presents a historic opportunity to challenge corporate impunity, it remains influenced by colonial, patriarchal, and neoliberal assumptions. The thesis proposes three interlinked recommendations: critically revisiting dominant development definitions, meaningfully centering Indigenous and feminist voices, and adopting the Treaty only in a form that is genuinely representative of pluriversal, intersectional justice. Indigenous women emerge as key agents of change essential for reimagining just governance and equitable energy futures. ...
This thesis examines how extractivism for the energy transition is experienced and resisted through intersectional decolonial and gender justice perspectives, asking: "What do intersectional decolonial and gender justice perspectives reveal about the impacts of and resistances to extractive industries, grounded in the case of Iximulew (Guatemala), and how can these inform more inclusive international governance approaches?"
The research is grounded in a qualitative case study in the region around El Estor, Iximulew (an Indigenous name for Guatemala) where Indigenous Maya Q’eqchi’ communities are affected by nickel mining and palm oil monocultivation. Both activities are closely linked to the global energy transition: nickel is a key input in battery production, while palm oil is widely used for biofuel. The study centers lived experiences and Indigenous knowledge systems that are often underrepresented or actively repressed in academic and policy debates. It combines interviews with community members, human and environmental rights defenders, women leaders, journalists, and activists, alongside participatory research and document analysis. Data are analyzed through reflexive thematic and constructivist approaches grounded in an intersectional decolonial ecofeminist framework.
The findings show that understanding extractivism in El Estor requires first engaging the Q’eqchi’ cosmovision, which offers counter-hegemonic conceptions of Territory, justice, and development. Territory is understood as a living, relational entity encompassing humans, nonhuman beings, ancestors, and spirits. Justice and development are grounded in balance, reciprocity, care, intergenerational responsibility, and a collective vision of Buen Vivir (“Living Well”). These perspectives stand in sharp contrast to extractivist logics rooted in colonial and patriarchal hierarchies, accumulation, and short-term profit.
Testimonies from El Estor reveal extractivism as a multidimensional process of dispossession, harm, and resistance. Beyond territorial loss and environmental degradation, extractive industries erode social fabrics, undermine spiritual relationships with Territory, and produce long-term psychological and collective wounds. These impacts are deeply gendered. Indigenous women face intersecting marginalization—including systemic exclusion, intensified care burdens, and heightened exposure to gender-based violence—while also emerging as central agents of resistance.
Through a constructivist analysis, the thesis demonstrates how extractivism, coloniality, and patriarchy intersect across multiple domains: authority, economy, knowledge, subjectivity, and gender. Together, they form an intersectional structure of domination. At the same time, counter-hegemonic resistance and healing emerge from within these structures.
Finally, the thesis connects local struggles in Iximulew to global governance by examining the UN Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights. While the Treaty presents a historic opportunity to challenge corporate impunity, it remains influenced by colonial, patriarchal, and neoliberal assumptions. The thesis proposes three interlinked recommendations: critically revisiting dominant development definitions, meaningfully centering Indigenous and feminist voices, and adopting the Treaty only in a form that is genuinely representative of pluriversal, intersectional justice. Indigenous women emerge as key agents of change essential for reimagining just governance and equitable energy futures. ...
The accelerating global energy transition has intensified demand for the minerals and agricultural commodities required for so-called “green” technologies, driving a rapid expansion of extractive industries. While these processes are commonly framed as necessary and sustainable, they often generate severe social, environmental, and spiritual harms, disproportionately affecting Indigenous communities in the Global South and women. These harms do not occur in isolation; they compound and reinforce one another through intersecting structures of power related to race, gender, class, and coloniality, producing intersectional experiences of marginalization.
This thesis examines how extractivism for the energy transition is experienced and resisted through intersectional decolonial and gender justice perspectives, asking: "What do intersectional decolonial and gender justice perspectives reveal about the impacts of and resistances to extractive industries, grounded in the case of Iximulew (Guatemala), and how can these inform more inclusive international governance approaches?"
The research is grounded in a qualitative case study in the region around El Estor, Iximulew (an Indigenous name for Guatemala) where Indigenous Maya Q’eqchi’ communities are affected by nickel mining and palm oil monocultivation. Both activities are closely linked to the global energy transition: nickel is a key input in battery production, while palm oil is widely used for biofuel. The study centers lived experiences and Indigenous knowledge systems that are often underrepresented or actively repressed in academic and policy debates. It combines interviews with community members, human and environmental rights defenders, women leaders, journalists, and activists, alongside participatory research and document analysis. Data are analyzed through reflexive thematic and constructivist approaches grounded in an intersectional decolonial ecofeminist framework.
The findings show that understanding extractivism in El Estor requires first engaging the Q’eqchi’ cosmovision, which offers counter-hegemonic conceptions of Territory, justice, and development. Territory is understood as a living, relational entity encompassing humans, nonhuman beings, ancestors, and spirits. Justice and development are grounded in balance, reciprocity, care, intergenerational responsibility, and a collective vision of Buen Vivir (“Living Well”). These perspectives stand in sharp contrast to extractivist logics rooted in colonial and patriarchal hierarchies, accumulation, and short-term profit.
Testimonies from El Estor reveal extractivism as a multidimensional process of dispossession, harm, and resistance. Beyond territorial loss and environmental degradation, extractive industries erode social fabrics, undermine spiritual relationships with Territory, and produce long-term psychological and collective wounds. These impacts are deeply gendered. Indigenous women face intersecting marginalization—including systemic exclusion, intensified care burdens, and heightened exposure to gender-based violence—while also emerging as central agents of resistance.
Through a constructivist analysis, the thesis demonstrates how extractivism, coloniality, and patriarchy intersect across multiple domains: authority, economy, knowledge, subjectivity, and gender. Together, they form an intersectional structure of domination. At the same time, counter-hegemonic resistance and healing emerge from within these structures.
Finally, the thesis connects local struggles in Iximulew to global governance by examining the UN Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights. While the Treaty presents a historic opportunity to challenge corporate impunity, it remains influenced by colonial, patriarchal, and neoliberal assumptions. The thesis proposes three interlinked recommendations: critically revisiting dominant development definitions, meaningfully centering Indigenous and feminist voices, and adopting the Treaty only in a form that is genuinely representative of pluriversal, intersectional justice. Indigenous women emerge as key agents of change essential for reimagining just governance and equitable energy futures.
This thesis examines how extractivism for the energy transition is experienced and resisted through intersectional decolonial and gender justice perspectives, asking: "What do intersectional decolonial and gender justice perspectives reveal about the impacts of and resistances to extractive industries, grounded in the case of Iximulew (Guatemala), and how can these inform more inclusive international governance approaches?"
The research is grounded in a qualitative case study in the region around El Estor, Iximulew (an Indigenous name for Guatemala) where Indigenous Maya Q’eqchi’ communities are affected by nickel mining and palm oil monocultivation. Both activities are closely linked to the global energy transition: nickel is a key input in battery production, while palm oil is widely used for biofuel. The study centers lived experiences and Indigenous knowledge systems that are often underrepresented or actively repressed in academic and policy debates. It combines interviews with community members, human and environmental rights defenders, women leaders, journalists, and activists, alongside participatory research and document analysis. Data are analyzed through reflexive thematic and constructivist approaches grounded in an intersectional decolonial ecofeminist framework.
The findings show that understanding extractivism in El Estor requires first engaging the Q’eqchi’ cosmovision, which offers counter-hegemonic conceptions of Territory, justice, and development. Territory is understood as a living, relational entity encompassing humans, nonhuman beings, ancestors, and spirits. Justice and development are grounded in balance, reciprocity, care, intergenerational responsibility, and a collective vision of Buen Vivir (“Living Well”). These perspectives stand in sharp contrast to extractivist logics rooted in colonial and patriarchal hierarchies, accumulation, and short-term profit.
Testimonies from El Estor reveal extractivism as a multidimensional process of dispossession, harm, and resistance. Beyond territorial loss and environmental degradation, extractive industries erode social fabrics, undermine spiritual relationships with Territory, and produce long-term psychological and collective wounds. These impacts are deeply gendered. Indigenous women face intersecting marginalization—including systemic exclusion, intensified care burdens, and heightened exposure to gender-based violence—while also emerging as central agents of resistance.
Through a constructivist analysis, the thesis demonstrates how extractivism, coloniality, and patriarchy intersect across multiple domains: authority, economy, knowledge, subjectivity, and gender. Together, they form an intersectional structure of domination. At the same time, counter-hegemonic resistance and healing emerge from within these structures.
Finally, the thesis connects local struggles in Iximulew to global governance by examining the UN Binding Treaty on Business and Human Rights. While the Treaty presents a historic opportunity to challenge corporate impunity, it remains influenced by colonial, patriarchal, and neoliberal assumptions. The thesis proposes three interlinked recommendations: critically revisiting dominant development definitions, meaningfully centering Indigenous and feminist voices, and adopting the Treaty only in a form that is genuinely representative of pluriversal, intersectional justice. Indigenous women emerge as key agents of change essential for reimagining just governance and equitable energy futures.
Student report
(2025)
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J.W.J. Brink, J. Stevens, K.J.M.B. Bout, E.A. van Boxtel, M.L. Kragtwijk, Yoselin Marisol Quib Bac, Sara Elvira Caz Si, Luis Gonzalez, S. Pande, J. Lieu, Linnaea Cahill, A.M.J. Coenders, S. Pasterkamp
This multidisciplinary project, undertaken in collaboration with Community Cloud Forest Conservation (CCFC) in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, addresses the need for long-term meteorological and hydrological monitoring in the Mestelá River catchment. The tropical montane cloud forest in this region provides essential ecosystem services through canopy cloud water interception and regulation of streamflow, yet continuous, high-quality environmental data remain limited.
To support research and conservation efforts, a 13.5 m scaffolding tower was designed and constructed as a durable, safe, and adaptable measurement platform, engineered for future extension to 25 m. The structural design accounted for local wind loads, dynamic forces, foundation stability, and corrosion resistance, ensuring a projected operational lifespan of 15 years.
Beyond infrastructure, the project developed a hydrological monitoring set-up and a Python-based modelling framework to quantify the canopy water balance and hydrological cycle. Sensor selection, placement, and integration were tailored to capture key meteorological and hydrological variables, including rainfall, fog interception, throughfall, and soil moisture. Data acquisition and storage were configured to function as autonomously as possible under remote, high-humidity cloud forest conditions, while allowing for straightforward periodic maintenance of all components involved.
Recognising that sustainability extends beyond technical performance, the project incorporated cultural and institutional engagement. Workshops and collaborative activities with CCFC staff and local stakeholders were conducted to align the monitoring system with community values, build operational capacity, and foster local ownership. A comprehensive maintenance strategy and guidelines for potential expansion were developed to ensure the continued relevance and adaptability of the system, including options for biodiversity monitoring and additional research applications.
The resulting monitoring platform combines robust engineering, scientific instrumentation, and community integration. It establishes a foundation for long-term data collection that can inform hydrological modelling, climate adaptation strategies, and evidence-based conservation, while embedding the system within the local social and ecological context.
...
To support research and conservation efforts, a 13.5 m scaffolding tower was designed and constructed as a durable, safe, and adaptable measurement platform, engineered for future extension to 25 m. The structural design accounted for local wind loads, dynamic forces, foundation stability, and corrosion resistance, ensuring a projected operational lifespan of 15 years.
Beyond infrastructure, the project developed a hydrological monitoring set-up and a Python-based modelling framework to quantify the canopy water balance and hydrological cycle. Sensor selection, placement, and integration were tailored to capture key meteorological and hydrological variables, including rainfall, fog interception, throughfall, and soil moisture. Data acquisition and storage were configured to function as autonomously as possible under remote, high-humidity cloud forest conditions, while allowing for straightforward periodic maintenance of all components involved.
Recognising that sustainability extends beyond technical performance, the project incorporated cultural and institutional engagement. Workshops and collaborative activities with CCFC staff and local stakeholders were conducted to align the monitoring system with community values, build operational capacity, and foster local ownership. A comprehensive maintenance strategy and guidelines for potential expansion were developed to ensure the continued relevance and adaptability of the system, including options for biodiversity monitoring and additional research applications.
The resulting monitoring platform combines robust engineering, scientific instrumentation, and community integration. It establishes a foundation for long-term data collection that can inform hydrological modelling, climate adaptation strategies, and evidence-based conservation, while embedding the system within the local social and ecological context.
...
This multidisciplinary project, undertaken in collaboration with Community Cloud Forest Conservation (CCFC) in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, addresses the need for long-term meteorological and hydrological monitoring in the Mestelá River catchment. The tropical montane cloud forest in this region provides essential ecosystem services through canopy cloud water interception and regulation of streamflow, yet continuous, high-quality environmental data remain limited.
To support research and conservation efforts, a 13.5 m scaffolding tower was designed and constructed as a durable, safe, and adaptable measurement platform, engineered for future extension to 25 m. The structural design accounted for local wind loads, dynamic forces, foundation stability, and corrosion resistance, ensuring a projected operational lifespan of 15 years.
Beyond infrastructure, the project developed a hydrological monitoring set-up and a Python-based modelling framework to quantify the canopy water balance and hydrological cycle. Sensor selection, placement, and integration were tailored to capture key meteorological and hydrological variables, including rainfall, fog interception, throughfall, and soil moisture. Data acquisition and storage were configured to function as autonomously as possible under remote, high-humidity cloud forest conditions, while allowing for straightforward periodic maintenance of all components involved.
Recognising that sustainability extends beyond technical performance, the project incorporated cultural and institutional engagement. Workshops and collaborative activities with CCFC staff and local stakeholders were conducted to align the monitoring system with community values, build operational capacity, and foster local ownership. A comprehensive maintenance strategy and guidelines for potential expansion were developed to ensure the continued relevance and adaptability of the system, including options for biodiversity monitoring and additional research applications.
The resulting monitoring platform combines robust engineering, scientific instrumentation, and community integration. It establishes a foundation for long-term data collection that can inform hydrological modelling, climate adaptation strategies, and evidence-based conservation, while embedding the system within the local social and ecological context.
To support research and conservation efforts, a 13.5 m scaffolding tower was designed and constructed as a durable, safe, and adaptable measurement platform, engineered for future extension to 25 m. The structural design accounted for local wind loads, dynamic forces, foundation stability, and corrosion resistance, ensuring a projected operational lifespan of 15 years.
Beyond infrastructure, the project developed a hydrological monitoring set-up and a Python-based modelling framework to quantify the canopy water balance and hydrological cycle. Sensor selection, placement, and integration were tailored to capture key meteorological and hydrological variables, including rainfall, fog interception, throughfall, and soil moisture. Data acquisition and storage were configured to function as autonomously as possible under remote, high-humidity cloud forest conditions, while allowing for straightforward periodic maintenance of all components involved.
Recognising that sustainability extends beyond technical performance, the project incorporated cultural and institutional engagement. Workshops and collaborative activities with CCFC staff and local stakeholders were conducted to align the monitoring system with community values, build operational capacity, and foster local ownership. A comprehensive maintenance strategy and guidelines for potential expansion were developed to ensure the continued relevance and adaptability of the system, including options for biodiversity monitoring and additional research applications.
The resulting monitoring platform combines robust engineering, scientific instrumentation, and community integration. It establishes a foundation for long-term data collection that can inform hydrological modelling, climate adaptation strategies, and evidence-based conservation, while embedding the system within the local social and ecological context.