Files and links (1)
CC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Pathways to water conflict during drought in the MENA region
Journal of Peace Research, Vol.58(3), pp.568-582
2020
Abstract
As hydro-meteorological hazards are predicted to become more frequent and intense in the future, scholars and policymakers are increasingly concerned about their security implications, especially in the context of ongoing climate change. Our study contributes to this debate by analysing the pathways to water-related conflict onset under drought conditions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region between 1996 and 2009. It is also the first such analysis that focuses on small-scale conflicts involving little or no physical violence, such as protests or demonstrations. These nonviolent conflicts are politically relevant, yet understudied in the literature on climate change and conflict, environmental security, and political instability. We employ the method of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to integrate quantitative and qualitative data at various scales (national, regional, local) for a sample of 34 cases (17 of which experienced conflict onset). Our findings show that pre-existing cleavages and either autocratic political systems or cuts of the public water supply are relevant predictors of nonviolent, water-related conflict onset during droughts. Grievances deeply embedded into socio-economic structures in combination with a triggering event like a drought or water cuts are hence driving such water-related conflicts, especially in the absence of proper political institutions. We thus argue that drought–conflict links are highly context-dependent even for nonviolent, local conflicts, hence challenging determinist narratives that claim direct interlinkages between climate change, hydro-meteorological disasters and conflict.
Details
- Title
- Pathways to water conflict during drought in the MENA region
- Authors/Creators
- T. Ide (Author/Creator) - Murdoch UniversityM.R. Lopez (Author/Creator) - Universität HamburgC. Fröhlich (Author/Creator) - German Institute for Global and Area StudiesJ. Scheffran (Author/Creator) - Universität Hamburg
- Publication Details
- Journal of Peace Research, Vol.58(3), pp.568-582
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Identifiers
- 991005540988807891
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2020
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Murdoch University
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites
Metrics
15 File views/ downloads
59 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 6 Social Sciences
- 6.27 Political Science
- 6.27.50 International Relations
- Web Of Science research areas
- International Relations
- Political Science
- ESI research areas
- Social Sciences, general