Call for papers for a special issue of the Journal of Island and Marine Studies on ‘The Persian Gulf: Geopolitical Tensions, Environmental Challenges, and Sustainable Futures’
The Persian Gulf remains one of the world’s most volatile and strategically vital maritime regions. Recent direct military exchanges between Iran, Israel, and the United States have pushed the region to the brink of wider conflict, with profound implications for global energy security and maritime trade.
Beyond acute security crises, the Persian Gulf faces systemic environmental pressures. The region’s marine ecosystems are increasingly threatened by oil spills, industrial pollution, desalination discharge, and rising temperatures. Recent maritime incidents highlight the urgent need for strengthened environmental governance.
The Gulf is witnessing unprecedented coastal engineering transformations. Ambitious artificial island projects, massive seawater desalination facilities, and extensive coastal infrastructure development are reshaping physical landscapes while generating significant environmental externalities. These developments raise critical questions about marine habitat destruction, coastal erosion, and the interplay between land reclamation, coastal management, and marine spatial planning. As climate change intensifies drought conditions and extreme weather events become more frequent, the tension between economic ambition and ecological limits demands interdisciplinary scrutiny.
The Persian Gulf is home to rich cultural heritage, from ancient pearl diving traditions to contemporary coastal urbanization patterns. Indigenous communities, migrant populations, and rapidly growing cities coexist along these shores, facing challenges related to water scarcity and economic transformation. Labor conditions faced by non-citizen workers raise critical questions about environmental justice and social equity.
Recent diplomatic realignments have reconfigured regional landscapes, yet tensions persist. Attempts to balance competing relationships while pursuing economic diversification create complex policy environments.
Understanding these dynamics requires interdisciplinary perspectives that bridge political science, international relations, environmental science, marine engineering, international law, human geography, anthropology, sociology, economics, and urban planning. Current governance frameworks face significant limitations, demanding innovative approaches to regional cooperation and transboundary resource management.
In line with this theme, we welcome submissions on the following topics:
- Geopolitical rivalries and maritime security
- Territorial disputes and sovereignty conflicts
- Artificial islands and land reclamation
- Seawater desalination
- Coastal engineering and infrastructure
- Marine pollution and ecosystem degradation
- Climate change and coastal vulnerability
- Energy security and transitions
- Water security and environmental justice
- Labor migration and social equity
- Cultural heritage and coastal communities
- Governance frameworks and international cooperation
This special issue will be published in the Journal of Island and Marine Studies (JIMS) (http://islandandmarinestudies.press/), but individual papers will be published online once they complete the peer review and editorial process. JIMS is a web-based, freely downloadable, open access, peer reviewed journal that publishes papers advancing and critiquing the study of issues affecting or involving islands and seas. Manuscripts should be between 1,500 and 15,000 words and must be prepared in accordance with the JIMS submission guidelines: http://islandandmarinestudies.press/guidelines-for-authors/.
Manuscripts should be submitted at our manuscript submission system and include the following components: the cover letter, author biographies, title page, structured abstract, research manuscript, references, etc. The title page should contain the title of the paper, the author name(s), the institutional affiliation, and keywords. Manuscripts should follow the JIMS style guide available on our website. Finally, authors should enter the name of the special section ‘The Persian Gulf: Geopolitical Tensions, Environmental Challenges, and Sustainable Futures’ in the Note section of the submission system.
Published Papers
This special issue is now open for submission.
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2029