Revista Española de Desarrollo y Cooperación
Revista Española de Desarrollo y Cooperación (REDC) is a biannual journal edited by the Instituto Universitario de Desarrollo y Cooperación (IUDC-UCM) since 1997. It publishes studies about development (including local development) and interenational cooperation. Its selection of articles is based on strict criteria of quality, novelty and relevance. Having a marked interdisciplinary character, the journal encompasses the social sciences and other disciplines relevant to development and cooperation. It has a monographic part and a miscellaneous part.
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Transiciones ecológicas justas: entre la urgencia climática y la justicia global
Copyright (c) 2026 Revista Española de Desarrollo y Cooperación
Critical intersections of feminisms in Abya Yala: development. Gender, and climate change in the ecosocial transition
The article examines the genealogy on the concept of development, initially focused on poverty and economic growth. The subsequent incorporation of sustainability, gender-based perspective and postmodern theories gave rise to critical paradigms that made it possible to deconstruct hegemonic models of exploitation and articulate an intersectional approach to analyzing inequalities. Based on these premises, the emergence of the feminist movements of Abya Yala and theirresponses to socio-environmental conflicts in tune with transformative epistemological proposals are explored. It presents anti-extractivist experiences that link theory with practices of political resistance.
The 'energy transition' as imperial rhetoric and the denialism of the Capitalocene. An analysis and reflection based on the European Green Deal
Against the backdrop of the severity of the climate crisis, this paper critically analyses the discourse surrounding the 'energy transition' as a supposedly realistic and progressive alternative to the denial of the need for action on climate change espoused by some in the global economic and political power bloc. The policies of the European Green Deal are analysed as a paradigmatic example of the 'transition' and 'decarbonisation' agenda. However, considering its objectives and effects, this 'energy transition' approach does not address the root causes of the climate crisis; rather, it aims to turn the crisis into a new vector of economic and geopolitical competitiveness, thereby deepening the historical and structural asymmetries of the system. We advocate broadening the analysis to encompass not only the energy matrix, but also the power structure and the geosociometabolic regime of energy appropriation and disposal.
Regulation of value chains towards the Just Transition: The case of the European Directive (EU) 2024/1760
The EU Directive 2024/1760 transforms corporate due diligence into a binding legal obligation, placing corporations at the core of the Just Transition. By addressing impacts across the entire value chain, it seeks to prevent their externalization to the Global South and to strengthen transnational accountability. Despite postcolonial critiques, it retains emancipatory potential in contexts of institutional vulnerability. Ultimately, it could generate benefits aligning sustainability, environmental justice, global equity, and a more coherent multiscalar governance.
The Global South: A challenge for global governance
A new green growth model requires a reformulation of economic and social policies capable of mitigating the effects of climate change, resulting in new forms of production and consumption. All global actors find themselves at this crossroads. In this regard, countries part of the so-called South, many of which are developing economies, present various vulnerabilities that make carrying out a green transition even more difficult. Therefore, a joint reflection is required to enable an orderly, fair, and social ecological transition. All of this must be accompanied by global rules and true global governance capable of moving forward in achieving its objectives. Alternative global governance platforms, such as the G20, and long-standing international organizations like the United Nations, are taking small, significant steps in that direction.
Towards Euro–Latin American Industrial Cooperation: International Contours and Bi-regional Possibilities
This paper analyses the possibilities for industrial cooperation between the European Union and Latin American countries within the framework of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). To this end, it first addresses the international dimension, examining how structural and agency-related factors largely shape the range of possibilities for interregional industrial cooperation. Subsequently, the analysis focuses on the interests and policies of both regions, as well as on the sectoral areas with the greatest potential for industrial cooperation, including green hydrogen, lithium, copper and other raw materials, as well as infrastructure and digital standards. Finally, the paper proposes a redefinition of European cooperation instruments—ranging from Association Agreements and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to the financial instruments of the Global Gateway and technical assistance channelled through regional programmes such as EUROCLIMA and Inclusive Societies—with the aim of strengthening transversal industrial policies in Latin American countries.
Epistemic Justice and Ecological Transition: Rethinking International Law from the Knowledges of the Global South
This article critically examines the role of International Law in the context of the ecological transition, highlighting its Eurocentric bias and the exclusion of epistemologies from the Global South. Using the concept of epistemic justice, it argues for the recognition and integration of Indigenous and community-based knowledge systems in the international normative framework. It analyzes concrete experiences that illustrate emerging legal alternatives. The article proposes structural reforms aimed at building an intercultural and ecologically just International Law.
The struggle of ethnic communities to defend their land in Colombia: a window onto environmental peace and a just socio-ecological transition
This article reflects on the convergence between efforts to build environmental peace and the commitment to a just socio-ecological transition in Colombia, arguing that both involve overcoming the structures of domination inherent in the extractivist model, which are also present in much of Latin America. Using a bottom-up approach, it examines how the struggles of ethnic communities have succeeded in creating a legal environment favourable to the defence of territory and nature, which, in turn, led to the recognition of the Atrato River as a rights-holder by the Constitutional Court and the accreditation of the territory as a victim of the armed conflict before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, opening the door for the protection of rights and the implementation of reparation mechanisms to be carried out from an ontological-relational perspective.
Energy transition and green neocolonialism: Socio-environmental impacts and post-extractivist challenges in Latin America
The global energy transition is driving a new wave of mining extraction, focused on critical minerals and rare earths elements, essential for green technologies such as batteries, solar panels, and electric vehicles, as well as for advances in smart automation. Framed as a path toward decarbonization, this dynamic is reproducing and intensifying extractivist logics that threaten the territories and rights of Indigenous peoples and rural communities in Latin America. This article analyzes, from a climate justice perspective, the tensions between the discourse of ecological transition and the concrete impacts of green neo-extractivism on people, the environment, and natural resources. It argues that, in the absence of effective oversight, greater transparency, meaningful social participation, and redistribution of benefits, the energy transition risks reinforcing patterns of dependency and green neocolonialism. Finally, the article proposes a set of principles to advance toward a just and sustainable post-extractivist transition.
Strategic autonomy, green geoeconomics and transactional aid: the new European development cooperation policy in Latin America
This paper analyzes the recent revitalization of European cooperation in Latin America and connects it toto the European Union’s renewed strategic interests in the region. These interests have been shapedby the declining competitiveness of European industry, driven by rising costs related toenergy and certain critical minerals. In response, the European Union, through the Global Gateway initiative, has outlined and investment agenda in Latin America aimed at reducing dependencies and diversifying supply sources. To this end, it seeks to financing green hydrogen corridors for industrial imports into Europe, as well as developing preferential agreements for access to critical minerals such as copper and lithium in countries includingChile, Brazil, and Argentina. This new transactional approach to European aid is not entirely novel ; it follows the pattern set by some Member States—particularly Germany—which plays a leading role in advancing Europe's green diplomacy in the region, alongside China.
Copyright (c) 2025 Revista Española de Desarrollo y Cooperación
Humanitarian aid in a turbulent international context: prospects and challenges
The volume and magnitude of humanitarian crises, together with shifting development funding patterns, are shaping an unprecedented era of development cooperation and humanitarian action. This article analyses the impact of these new dynamics on humanitarian aid and possible strategies to address the risks of underfunding for millions of people around the world. It also reflects on the double vulnerability of forgotten crises to determine the scenario they face when they are out of the media spotlight and off the international agenda.
The new far right and the contestation to 2030 Agenda: an approach to the case of VOX in Spain
The rise of the new far right represents an additional risk factor for the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The case of VOX in Spain illustrates how, through shared narratives and discourses, the new far right contest the 2030 Agenda and undermine the legitimacy, political support, and universal consensus that it enjoyed only a decade ago. To examine this phenomenon, the article focuses on VOX’s parlamientary opposition to the 2023 International Cooperation Law and its stance during the 2024 farmers’ protests that spread across Europe in 2024.
The quiet retreat: USAID cuts and the consequences of the America First doctrine in Sub-Saharan Africa
This study examines how the America First doctrine reshaped U.S. development cooperation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Under Trump administration, USAID funding was heavily cut, halting programs in health, education, nutrition, and climate action. These cuts led to clinic closures and setbacks in HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis treatment. The U.S. retreat created a vacuum quickly filled by China, Russia, and other powers offering aid without democratic conditions. Aid has shifted from a global public good to a strategic tool, fostering a model of “development without democracy” that threatens governance, human rights, and the legitimacy of international cooperation.
International cooperation and collective action in the face of the interests and myths of authoritarianism
International cooperation is experiencing one of the most critical moments in its history, under pressure from reactionary and authoritarian proposals that seek its dismantling. The article analyzes the nature, motivations, and consequences of these threats, grounded in interests, myths, and beliefs that are already having a profound impact on the world, negatively affecting millions of people across the planet. In light of this scenario, the article argues for the need to understand and reclaim international cooperation as a space of resistance and democratic struggle, oriented toward building a world based on social and ecological justice.
Global citizenship education in the university context: comparative analysis between Mexico and Spain
The study analyzes the knowledge and experience of university professors in Mexico and Spain regarding Global Citizenship Education (GCE), using a quantitative methodology with 716 participants. The findings reveal significant differences in the incorporation of GCE. In Mexico, 43.4% reported not having had experiences related to GCE, while in Spain the figure is 34.8%. This analysis highlights the need to strengthen training and collaboration opportunities in GCE within universities.
Decentralized cooperation facing the transformation of the international development system
The article takes stock of the participation decentralized cooperation agents in the system of development cooperation, with the aim of grasping the conditions under which they enter the current phase of profound change, and identifying some plausible trends in the new scenario. Drawing on existing literature and with a focus on the analysis of “new actors” in development cooperation, the article traces the recent evolution of decentralized cooperation and examines various aspects of sub-state actorness.
Global Europe and cooperation for deterrence: instrumentalization of development cooperation for migration control
This article analyzes the transformation of European Union development cooperation toward what we call "deterrence cooperation," through the analysis of 221 projects funded by the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument - Global Europe (NDICI) between 2021-2024 with €9.714 billion allocated to migration and forced displacement. Through detailed examination of four specific cases in Turkey, North Africa and West Africa (€835 million), the research reveals that resources officially designated for development are employed in border control activities, security agent training, surveillance equipment, detention centers, and return mechanisms, configuring "hard deterrence" and "soft deterrence" strategies to intercept irregular transit to Europe. The results show how the EU externalizes its migration control to third countries like Turkey, Libya and Tunisia, instrumentalizing development cooperation to export its migration agenda, which erodes the legitimacy of European aid and transforms solidarity-based cooperation into a geopolitical tool that prioritizes European interests over human development objectives.
Change and continuity in a time of upheaval and uncertainty: between the Anthropocene and multipolarity without multilateralism
This text seeks to present the impact that changes in the international system following the First and Second World Wars are having on the development cooperation and aid subsystem. To do so, following the Annales School, it distinguishes between long, medium, and short timeframes, focusing primarily on the medium (conjuncture) and long (structure) timeframes. It first establishes the persistent features of the cooperation and aid subsystem that emerged after the Second World War. Then, it establishes a framework for analyzing change and continuity, which it applies first to the two fundamental structural elements (the Anthropocene and the erosion and blurring of the rules of international order) and subsequently to the causally relevant conjunctural element: the evolution of development studies and the practice of international cooperation. In all cases, it identifies the elements of change and continuity. It concludes with brief final considerations.
Presentación del monográfico. “Un orden internacional en ebullición: su impacto en la cooperación internacional para el desarrollo”
Tourism activity in Puerto Vallarta through the perspective of Wallerstein's World System theory
Immanel Wallerstein's theoretical framework is used as an analytical tool to understand the social, economic and environmental problems of the city. Through a bibliographical review, we seek to problematise the effects of the tourist real estate industry in Puerto Vallarta, paying attention to two key elements of the theory: the influx and the investment generated to satisfy foreign demand in the consolidated zones of the city. The analysis seeks a better understanding of the phenomenon and its relationship with issues of inequality. The main findings show that the demand for real estate for tourists is reflected in coastal areas with better infrastructure linked to transnational capital.
Cooperation project targeting child malnutrition in Lagonoy, Philippines
Child malnutrition in the Philippines is alarming. The NGO Phileos is starting a project in collaboration with SEGHNP. Patients aged between 6 months and 5 years are identified with a Waterlow index for weight < -2SD. Anthropometric measurements are taken monthly, and blood and stool parasite tests are carried out every three months. Patients are fed monthly. 89 children have been treated and, despite the difficulties, significant improvements in nutritional status and general health have been observed. The project not only addresses child malnutrition but also contributes to a healthier future for these children, demonstrating the positive impact of international cooperation.
Transformation of single-use plastic waste into plastic wood: a circular economy approach in La Pampa, Argentina
Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is a complex challenge because its inappropriate disposal, especially in open dumps, has negative impacts on health, biodiversity and the environment. Plastic waste, which can take up to 500 years to degrade, is a major contributor to this problem. This work proposes a solution to this problem based on a territorial and sustainable approach, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and circular economy principles. Through the UNLPambiental outreach project, which focuses on environmental education and community participation, more than 72 tonnes of plastic were collected from 45 localities in the province of La Pampa, Argentina, over a period of 20 months. The collected plastics were processed by thermofusion and converted into plastic wood. The final product was analysed by SEM, µXRF and FTIR to determine its elemental and polymeric composition and to identify additives specific to the recycled plastics used. Titanium (Ti), a photodegradation additive, was detected in 4 of the 5 wood plastic samples obtained, while hazardous chemical additives such as chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) were not detected in any sample. However, the polymer composition of the samples was not homogeneous due to the heterogeneity of the post-consumer material available at the time of production. This work not only significantly reduced the environmental impact of burying the 72 tonnes of plastic waste and transforming it into a new product, but also trained more than 10,000 agents of change, fostering a culture of sustainability that can have a long-term positive impact on public health, the natural environment and future generations.
Social programs, microcredits, and rural development post-political violence in Apurímac, Peru
This article examines the sustainability of social programmes aimed at improving living conditions in rural areas affected by political violence, using CAC Los Andes as a case study. This cooperative, which emerged from social programmes implemented between 1995 and 2000, has successfully expanded and established itself as a key actor in rural development in Apurímac, Peru. Its approach combines a solidarity-based economy with social programmes implemented in partnership with Non-Governmental Organisations, prioritising the well-being of the community and seeking to reconcile public policies with cooperative dynamics in contexts of social exclusion.
Bioprospecting of plant species in abandoned mines and their phytoremediation potential
Like many other economic activities, metal mining changes the geography and physiography of the natural landscape. The waste from this activity is characterised by, among other things, a high content of heavy metals and synthetic chemicals, which represent a serious socio-environmental problem. A closure plan for the mine is expected to include treatment measures involving environmental restoration, which is possible through the application of phytoremediation technologies. To search for new non-exotic phytoremediation species, a bioprospecting and bibliographic evaluation of the remediation potential of aromatic plant species present in two abandoned mining sites in Mendoza, Argentina, was conducted. The physicochemical and textural characteristics of the soil where vegetation grew, as well as the total concentration of heavy metals, were analysed using atomic emission spectrometry with electrothermal atomisation. As a result, 16 different plant species were identified, mainly from the Asteraceae and Poaceae families, all of which had medium to high remedial potential according to the literature consulted. The soil was sandy, with a low organic matter content, and in general the total metal content did not exceed the maximum permissible limits for agricultural soils, except for lead, whose concentration is above 50 mg/kg. In conclusion, the plant species have remediation potential, but this will have to be confirmed experimentally in future laboratory and field tests.
The lucrative business of organised crime: illegal wildlife trafficking
This paper aims to raise awareness of the threat that illegal wildlife trade poses to the environment, ecosystems, and public health. The motivation and modus operandi of organised crime, the main perpetrators of this criminal phenomenon, will be examined. After a brief outline of international and European legislation on the subject and an examination of the protection of biodiversity as part of the human right to the environment, a brief legal approach to the crime of illegal trade in protected wildlife species under Art. 334(1)(b) of the Spanish Criminal Code from an ecocentric and ecological justice perspective.
Environmental governance in biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development in the Biosphere Reserve “Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito”, 2012-2022
This paper examines the key factors that promote the potential for constructive interaction between biodiversity conservation and socio-economic development in the Parque Atlántico Mar Chiquito (PAMCH) Biosphere Reserve, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The methodological strategy was to triangulate quantitative and qualitative methods. The main findings suggest that PAMCH is experiencing both a trend towards socio-ecological valorisation of the wetland and a process of degradation driven by anthropogenic activities, multiple uses and management deficiencies.
The “community” as a subject for development and cooperation projects. Critical reflection from the case of a project promoting community forestry management in Santiago del Estero (Argentina)
Over the last 50 years, the community has emerged as a protagonist in natural resource management projects promoted by international cooperation and development agencies. However, the definition of community proposed in these projects is often normative and based on predetermined social, territorial and cultural criteria that do not consider the dynamic and relational dimension of community uses and practices. This article illustrates this tension through a study of the implementation of community forest management plans by the Native Forests and Community project, funded by the World Bank between 2015 and 2022, in northern Argentina. It highlights the importance of these projects in integrating the multiple ways in which communities exist, and their everyday and non-formal expressions, to formulate appropriate proposals for action and governance, and to avoid conflicts of use.
Risk perception and popular knowledge about crocodilians (Caiman crocodilus and Crocodylus acutus) in river communities in the provinces of Veraguas and Chiriquí, Panamá, Central America
This empirical qualitative social research study examines human-crocodile coexistence to support the design of the National Crocodile Management Plan in Panama. The study analysed the risk perception and knowledge of communities living with crocodilians through surveys conducted in sixteen localities in Veraguas and Chiriquí. Overall, 82% of respondents showed a good knowledge of crocodilians, although only half had completed primary school. Men were more familiar with crocodiles due to their involvement in fishing and agriculture. Despite the fear of crocodiles, 74% of respondents supported their conservation, highlighting the need for educational programmes to promote sustainable crocodilian management.
The challenge of matching biodiversity conservation and community’s livelihoods: historical trends and participatory interventions in the Kafa biosphere reserve, Ethiopia
The aim of this paper is to explore the interactions between biodiversity conservation and community livelihoods, and the challenges they pose, in the Kafa Biosphere Reserve. The analysis was conducted by tracing the perspectives, interests and actions of governance regimes (or institutions) from customary institutions to participatory interventions. A qualitative historical analysis method was used to collect and interpret data, alongside an analytical framework called the Policy Arrangement Approach. In general, Kafa biodiversity conservation and community livelihoods have been shaped by competing and conflicting structures, discourses and interests over different periods of governance, all of which have more or less lacked effective 'hands and feet on the ground'.
Challenges and opportunities for conserving biodiversity through volunteer initiatives and international cooperation projects
The main objective of this study is to present two examples of development cooperation projects for the conservation of biodiversity carried out in Arequipa (Peru) by students of the Biology Department of the UCM, within the framework of the International Volunteer Programme of the Public Universities of Madrid and in collaboration with the UNSA University. The objective of the first example is to protect the Tara tree (Caesalpinia spinosa), the only tree species associated with the tropical ecosystem of the "cloud forest" or "Lomas" in Atiquipa. The second objective was to create a biodiversity database for the Arequipa region. Both projects are currently in progress.