Eva Youkhana
© ZEF

Prof Dr. Eva Youkhana

Professional experience

Eva Youkhana is a professor of critical development studies and head of the working group ZEF-CPC. She studied anthropology and development sociology at the Universities of Cologne and Frankfurt, where she completed her master's and doctoral degrees in 1996 and 2007 respectively. Eva’s first appointment at ZEF as a Junior and Senior Researcher for the GLOWA Volta Project (Westafrica) lasted from 2001 to 2009.

After a PostDoc position in the Latin America Research Network (2010 – 2014) and the completion of her habilitation project in anthropology in 2015, she served as interim professor and director in the ZEFa department (Political and Cultural Change) until October 2023. Her research focus is on critical urban and migration studies as well as environmental conflict and peace studies. 

She also worked on these topics during her sabbatical leave and CALAS research fellowship in Argentina. There she studied the housing deficit in Latin America and how urban dwellers tackle the crisis. 

Avatar Youkhana

Prof. Dr. Eva Youkhana

+49-228-73-4909

Genscherallee 3

53113 Bonn

© ZEF

Division/Group:
Cultural and Political Change (CPC)

Further Information

  • Water Resources
  • Mobility and migration
  • Institutions
  • Social and Cultural Change and Adaption
  • Sustainable use of natural resources
  • Biodiversity
  • Methods
  • Theories of Development
  • Gender
  • Urbanisation
  • Governance, conflicts and natural resources
  • Mobility, migration and urbanization
  • Germany
  • Spain
  • Burkina Faso
  • Ghana
  • Mexico
  • Colombia
  • Cuba

Bilateral Graduate School (DAAD) Doctoral Studies Support Program for Environmental Peace-Building and Development in Colombia with the National University of Colombia, Bogotá, Institute for Environmental Studies (IDEA)

Environmental Thinking and Alternatives to Development (together with IDEA)

Participatory Mapping and Monitoring of Environmental Conflicts (together with IDEA)

Right Livelihood College (RLC)

CIREG - Climate Information to support integrated Renewable Electricity Generation

  • National University of Colombia, Institute for Environmental Studies (IDEA)
  • National University of Managua, Nicaragua
  • University of Cienfuegos, Cuba
  • University of Amsterdam, Institute of Environmental Studies
  • FU Berlin, Latin American Institute
  • Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC)
  • Netzwerk Flüchtlingsforschung

Publications 2023

  • Barbosa dos Santos, Fernanda, Clément Roux, Carolina Saldarriaga Cardona and Eva Youkhana. 2023. Una escena musical sentipensante en la transición posacuerdo en Colombia: El caso de la Casa de la Paz. Cuadernos de Música, Artes Visuales y Artes Escénicas, 18 (2): 142-163. (Open Access)
    • Preiti, Francisco.J; Youkhana, Eva. 2023. Environmental Movements in Insurgent Territories. An anthropological framework to study the performance art in Rosario, Argentina. kult-ur , 10 (20): 103-124. (Open Access)
    • Youkhana, Eva and Saed Hedayatiy Cilia. 2023. Participatory Mapping of Diverse Perspectives of Safety and Fear in the Latin American Urban Space. Alternautas, 10(2): 33-61. (Open Access)
                              • Avilés Irahola, D., Mora-Motta, A., Barbosa Pereira, A., Bharati, L., Biber-Freudenberger, L., Petersheim, C., Quispe-Zuniga, M.R., Schmitt, C.B. and E. Youkhana. 2022. Integrating scientific and local knowledge to address environmental conflicts: the role of academia.  Human Ecology. (Open Access)
                              • Mashingaidze, M. and E. Youkhana. 2022. The multi-situatedness of biographical narratives: contributions to critical migration research. ZEF Working Paper Series 216.
                              • Tobón, C., Zamora, D., Ángel, M. and E. Youkhana. 2021. Deforestation in Tinigua National Natural Park: Socio-environmental consequences of the Peace Agreement in Colombia. ZEF Working Paper 210, University of Bonn.
                              • Youkana, E., Rojas-Robles, R., Avilés Irahola, D.L., Mora-Motta, A. and J.-P. Santander-Durán. 2021. Environmental Thinking, Critiques on Development and South-North-South Cooperation Proposals Under Construction. Gestión y Ambiente, 24 (1): 11-38.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2020. Viewing and dancing nature. Environmental conceptions and the politics of belonging of the 'danzantes prehispánicos'.  In: Robinson, Matthew Ryan and Inderst, Inja (eds.): What does Theology Do, Actually? Observing Theology and the Transcultural. Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt. 135 - 148.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2020. Actors networks in critical urban studies – protest against the subprime crisis in Madrid. ZEF Working Paper Series 191, University of Bonn.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2019. Die Untersuchung von Akteursnetzwerken in der kritischen Stadtforschung. Forschungsjournal Soziale Bewegungen, 1 (32): 123-138.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2018. Los espacios religiosos de los migrantes latinoamericanos y el poder político de los santos: la Virgen del Cisne en Madrid. In: Romizi, Francesco (eds.): Migrantes peregrinos. Trayectorias identitarias de la diáspora ecuatoriana en el espacio católico transnacional. Quito: Editorial Abya Yala.
                              • Youkhana, Eva, Leifkes, Claudia and León-Sicard, Tomás. 2018. Epistemic Marginality, Higher and Environmental Education in Colombia. Gestion y Ambiente, Issue No. 2 (Volume 21): 15-29. (Open Access)
                              • Sutter, Ove & Youkhana, Eva (eds.). 2017. Perspectives on the European Border Regime: Mobilization, Contestation, and the Role of Civil Society.  Social Inclusion, Issue 3 (Volume 5): 88. (Open Access)
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2017. Acercamiento crítico a discursos de desarrollo relacionados con la crisis de refugiados: perspectivas desde Alemania.  Astrolabio: revista internacional de filosofía, 19: 333-344.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2017. Migrants' religious spaces and the power of Christian Saints - the Latin American Virgin of Cisne in Spain. In: Eva Youkhana (eds.): Border Transgression. Mobility and Mobilization in Crisis. V&R unipress. 18.
                              • Youkhana, Eva (ed.). 2017. Border Transgression: Mobility and Mobilization in Crisis. V&R unipress. Bonn.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2015. A Conceptual shift in Studies of Belonging and the Politics of Belonging. Social Inclusion, 3 (4): 10-24.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2015. Spirituelle Migration und urbaner Lifestyle: Die danzantes prehispánicos in der CSA La Tabacalera in Madrid. In: Burchardt, Hans-Jürgen, Kaltmeier, Olaf und Ölschläger, Rainer (eds.): Urbane (T)Räume. Städte zwischen Kultur, Kommerz und Konflikt. Nomos. 197–211.
                              • Youkhana, Eva and Förster, Larissa. 2015. GraffiCity: visual practices and contestations in urban spaces. Wilhelm Fink-Verlag. Paderborn, Germany.
                              • Youkhana, Eva and Jüssen, Lara. 2015. Soziale Bewegungen in Zeiten der Spanischen Hypothekenkrise: Ursachen und Folgen für Stadtplanung und –gestaltung. In: Othengrafen, Frank and Sondermann, Martin (eds.): Städtische Planungskulturen im Spiegel von Konflikten, Protesten und Initiativen. Verlag Uwe Altrock. 151-176.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2014. Creative activism and art against urban renaissance and social exclusion - space sensitive approaches to the study on collective action and belonging. Sociology Compass, 8 (2): 172–186.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2014. Die Macht der Dinge in transnationalen religiösen Räumen – Die Virgen del Cisne in Madrid.  Peripherie: Zeitschrift für Politik und Ökonomie in der Dritten Welt, 134 / 135: 149-174.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2014. Spirituelle Migration und urbaner Lifestyle: Die danzantes prehispánicos in der CSA La Tabacalera in Madrids. In: Burchardt, Hans-Jürgen, Kaltmeier, Olaf and Öhlschläger, Reinhardt (eds.): Urbane (T)räume: Städte zwischen Kultur, Kommerz und Kritik. Nomos. 193-207.
                              • Youkhana, Eva and Sebaly, Christian. 2014. GraffiCity – kreativer Protest, belonging und citizenship im Madrider Stadtteil Lavapiés. s u b \ u r b a n . zeitschrift für kritische stadtforschung, 2 (1): 49-70. (Open Access)
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2013. Formas de pertenencia religiosa y procesos de construcción de espacio en la migración latinoamericana – entre vínculos colonizados y redenciones creativas.  Procesos – Revista Ecuatoriana de Historia, 36: 111-142.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2013. Informeller Sektor / Informelle Wirtschaft. In: Hensel, Silke und Barbara Potthast (eds.): Das Lateinamerika-Lexikon. Peter Hammer Verlag. 157-159.
                              • Youkhana, Eva. 2012. From Exploitation to participation – tourism and handicraft production in rural Yucatán, Mexico.   In: Raúl H. Asensio und Beatriz Pérez Galán (eds.): ¿El turismo es cosa de pobres? Patrimonio cultural, pueblos indígenas y nuevas formas de turismo. Colección PASOS edita, nº8 Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural. Sauzal. 225-246.
                              • Albiez, Sarah, Castro, Nelly, Jüssen, Lara und Youkhana, Eva. 2011. Introduction: Ethnicity, Citizenship, Belonging: Practices, Theory and Spatial dimensions.  In: Albiez, Sarah, Castro, Nelly, Jüssen, Lara und Youkhana, Eva (eds.): Ethnicity, Citizenship, Belonging: Practices, Theory and Spatial dimensions. Vervuert. 11-32.
                              • Jüssen, Lara und Eva Youkhana. 2011. Local Responses to Transnational Migration: Citizenship, Belonging and the Case of Latin American Migrants in Madrid. In: Albiez, Sarah, Castro, Nelly, Jüssen, Lara und Youkhana, Eva (eds.): Ethnicity, Citizenship, Belonging: Practices, Theory and Spatial dimensions. Vervuert. 283-305.
                              • Hauck, Jennifer and Eva Youkhana. 2010. Claim and reality of community based water resources management: A case study of rural fisheries in Ghana. In: Nanang, D.M. and Thompson, K.N. (eds.): Natural resources in Ghana. Management, Policy and Economics. Nova Science Publishers. 143-163.
                              • Hauck, Jennifer und Eva Youkhana. 2010. Histories and continuities of water governance in Northern Ghana. In: Bonanno, A., Bakker, H., Kawamura, Y., Jussaume, R. and Shucksmith, M. (eds.): From Community to Consumption: New and Classical Themes in Rural Sociological Research. Emerald. 235-249.
                              • Youkhana, E. and Laube, W. 2009. Virtual water trade: a realistic policy option for the countries of the Volta Basin in West Africa?. Water Policy, 11 (5): 569-581.
                              • Lautze, J., Barry, B. Youkhana, E. 2008. Changing paradigms in Volta Basin Water Management: Customary, National and Trans-boundary. Water Policy, 10 (6): 577–594.
                              • Youkhana, E. und I. Eguavoen. 2008. Small towns face big challenge. The management of piped systems after the water sector reform in Ghana.
                              • Youkhana, E., Wittkötter, P and Zug, L. 2008. Actors and Institutions in the water sector of Ghana and Burkina Faso – An interactive map.
                              • Rodgers, Charles, van de Giesen, Nick, Laube, Wolfram, Vlek, Paul L. G. und Youkhana, Eva. 2007. The GLOWA Volta Project: A Framework for Water Resources Decision-Making and Scientific Capacity Building in a Trans-national West African Basin. Special Issue for Water Resources Management. Water Resources Management, 21: 295–313.
                              • Youkhana, E. 2007. Experiment Ökotourismus - Gelenkter Wandel und Akzeptanz am Beispiel des Mayadorfs Yaxuná. IKO - Verlag für Interkulturelle Kommunikation. Franfurt a.M.
                              • Youkhana, E. and A. van Edig. 2007. Aufbau lokaler Strukturen im Wassersektor. Anspruch und Wirklichkeit des Wasserreformprozesses am Beispiel der kleinstädtischen Trinkwasserversorgung in Ghana. In: Mielau, S. and F. Wickl (eds.): Lokales Wissen und Entwicklung. Horlemann Verlag, Bad Honnef, Germany.
                              • Youkhana, E., Korth, O. Lamizana, B., van der Schaaf, Ch., Sebaly, Chr. 2006. The Water sector of Burkina Faso. An inventory of actors and institutions. Center for Development Research. University of Bonn, Germany.
                              • Youkhana, E. und A. van der Veen. 2005. Vom Wasser getrieben: GLOWA Volta, ein Forschungsprojekt in Westafrika. Bundesregierung online, e-velop, 35, 16.11.2005.
                              • Youkhana, E., B. Arendt, H. Kunstmann, N. Martin, C. Rodgers und P.L.G. Vlek. 2005. Das GLOWA Volta Projekt: Untersuchungen zum nachhaltigen Umgang mit der Ressource Wasser im Voltabecken von West Afrika. Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung, 49.
                              • Youkhana, E., B. Arendt, H. Kunstmann, N. Martin, C. Rodgers, and P.L.G. Vlek. 2005. The GLOWA-Volta project: Studies on the sustainable use of water resources in the Volta river basin in West Africa.  Hydrol. u. Wasserbewirtsch. (HW), 49 (4): 190-200.
                              • Youkhana, E., B. Arendt, L. Bharati, M. Plotnikova, C. Rogers und P. Vlek. 2005. Entwicklung eines Entscheidungsunterstützungssystems für nachhaltiges Wassermanagement. Das GLOWA Volta Projekt. In: Nacken, H., S. Bartussek und H. Sevilarn (eds.): Das GLOWA Volta Projekt.
                              • van Edig, Annette und Youkhana, Eva. 2003. Arme und Umwelt: Verlierer der Wasserprivatisierung. In: Kaiser, Markus (eds.): Weltwissen - Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in der Weltgesellschaft. transcript. 245-274.
                              • Youkhana, E. 1996. Subkultur und Jugendbande – Überlebensstrategien ausländischer Jugendlicher in Deutschland. Magisterarbeit veröffentlicht bei Holos at Bonn.