The committee comment:
The paper puts forward a convincing argument that EU border surveillance is increasingly governed by what is termed ‘ecological risk management’, in which nature is framed simultaneously as a source of risk and as a model for technological solutions. Complex terrains such as forests and ice are shown to be datafied to manage unpredictable mobilities, while biomimetic technologies – ranging from ‘artificial sniffers’ inspired by canine olfaction to robotic swarms modelled on insect intelligence—are developed to optimise surveillance capacities. The conceptual framework draws on critical political geography, STS, and security studies to establish a relevant and innovative theoretical toolbox. The empirical analysis is strong, particularly in its focus on EU-funded surveillance projects. The conclusion is especially compelling in demonstrating how sustainability discourse is mobilised to legitimise expanded, pre-emptive security infrastructures, thereby blurring the boundaries between ecological responsibility and militarised governance. While the discussion of nature as a solution appears somewhat more developed than that of nature as a risk, this imbalance would likely be addressed through the review process. Overall, the paper offers a fascinating account of how human-nature relations are reconfigured in extraordinary ways during moments of crisis and in efforts to manage them.