Paper short abstract:

This paper examines whether climate change induced water insecurity in South Africa is a driver of local conflicts. It argues that water insecurity has a negative effect on human security, freedoms and intertwines with other local socio-economic and political factors to trigger local conflicts.

Paper long abstract:

Climate change induced environmental changes are overwhelming adaptive capacities of many societies which are poor and vulnerable, especially in Africa. This erosion of adaptive capacities poses a number of local and national security risks with potential to cause conflicts. Within the climate-conflict nexus discourse, this paper examines whether climate change induced water insecurity in Chris Hani District (South Africa) is partly a driver of local conflicts. It primarily analyses whether there is a causal relationship between hydro-climatological changes and water related local conflicts. It argues that water insecurity has resulted in increased competition for the commodity and this has subsequently bred social disagreements and tension as community members disagree on water use priorities. These community tensions provide an avenue through which to understand how environmental stress (water insecurity), has potential to intertwine with other local socio-economic and political factors to trigger local conflicts. Further, from a human security perspective, water scarcity has a negative effect on the security of local people. Water insecurity is denying locals some of their freedoms since they can no longer 'exercise their choices safely and freely' and is thus a threat to local people's 'freedom from want' since it denies them access to a basic element of human existence. The paper concludes by arguing that given the complexity of all conflicts, the emerging climate-conflict nexus needs careful contextual analysis especially in an environment where other socio-economic and political factors have historically been the main drivers of community conflicts.

Paper short abstract:

Southwest of Angola is home to around 3.5 million people, half of them living in rural communities. This region belongs to a transitory climatic area in which the rainfall pattern varies considerably, with droughts and floods. So, the main activity in rural areas is not agriculture, but livestock.

Paper long abstract:

Southwest of Angola is home 3.5 million people, half of them living in rural communities.This study involved field work in 18 villages, 6 in Huíla province, 8 in Namibe and 4 in Cunene. This region belongs to a transitory climatic area in which the rainfall pattern varies considerably, with droughts and floods. So, the main activity in rural areas is not agriculture, but livestock.

The households have in average 7 people, and half of them have an income of less then 20 Usd/month, which means less then 2.5 USD/person/month. Less then 10% of the households have more than a 200 USD/month income. Most of their rural activities are related to cattle but the large majority of people does not own it: they are but shepperds and their profit is milk and some animal labour. More than 90% of the households use wood both for cooking and lighting, because they can not afford other sources such as electricity. The charcoal produced is for sale. Almost all the people defecate in open air no further than 50 m from the houses. To access fresh water they spend between one and four hours until the source. After using the water they either give it to animals or use it to irrigate the crops.

Oher's studies on climate observed an increase in average temperature of 1.7 C from the 1960´s until 2000-17 in the region. If the pattern continues the conditions will tend to worsen.

Paper short abstract:

Focusing on land use planning, a key tool of rural and urban governance in Tanzania, the paper analyzes conflicts related to a carbon forestry project in Lindi. It illustrates how climate mitigation interventions shape resource access, governance and landscapes of vulnerability in Africa.

Paper long abstract:

The dominant narratives on the social impact of climate change in Africa tend to put emphasis on risks related to "natural" hazards without addressing social and political processes that put people at risk. While African governments and policy makers promote adaptation and climate mitigation as policy solutions, little attention is being paid to how climate related interventions help fuel local conflicts and shape vulnerability in rural (and urban) contexts in Africa. Focusing on Lindi District in Tanzania, this paper will analyze conflicts generated by a market-oriented carbon forestry project, whose goal is to reduce deforestation and forest degradation to help mitigate climate change. The paper shows that despite their orientation towards international carbon markets and their reliance on financial and developmental incentives, carbon forestry projects rely on establishing stable territories and establishing control over land, forests and inhabitants. Land use planning, as a tool of governance of space, population and environment plays a key role in the visualization and establishment of this territorial control. Yet, while they seem to minimize the financial risks for project implementors and carbon investors alike, these practices of territorialization increase the risk of igniting old land conflicts or of creating new ones. The paper analyzes the conflicts associated with land use planning in rural areas in Lindi and looks at its impact on access to land and forests and local democratic decision-making.

Paper short abstract:

This paper seeks to give a solid enquiry into the hypothesis that Climate Change can be considered as a source of conflict and migration in Nigeria. The recent conflict between herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria shall be the major case study of this research.

Paper long abstract:

Climate change is hardly considered as one of the causal phenomenon of conflict in Nigeria. However, Violent conflicts between nomadic herders from northern Nigeria and sedentary agrarian communities in the northern, central and southern zones in the past 36 months has proven that alongside tribalism, religious intolerance, resource control, land disputes and trade related disputes; climate change has become a major source of conflict and insecurity in Nigeria. This is due to the lack of internal mitigation and resilience policies (which have led to expansive desertification, drought and unchecked deforestation in Northern Nigeria) and external factors (the shrinking of the Lake Chad Basin). In consequence, about 10.5 million people have been displaced and the herders are forced to seek more grazing pastures southwards which in turn creates tensions, conflicts and its corollaries. This paper seeks to demonstrate that climate change induced-displacement is a determinant of conflict and a major treat to security in Nigeria and that such conflicts have become a yardstick for interurban migration in and without Nigeria.

Paper short abstract:

Climate changes are increasing rural abandon and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Families need to invent solutions to deal with this reality. Labor migration is an obvious answer and remittances are highly relevant in this context. This study is based on data collected in Mozambique and Angola.

Paper long abstract:

In this paper we intend to underline some general characteristics of the internal labor migration occurring in some sub-Saharan contexts.

Our analysis pays particular attention to climate changes and human desertification, and the strategies families invent to find the best solutions to cope with rural abandon and poverty. It deals with environment issues, family size, production, family networks and expectations of life improvement. It also deals with the remittances issue, which is still highly relevant, and which continues to interest scientists from different fields.

The analysis pays particular attention to the reasons why people decide to leave and go to the cities looking for a job.

The study is based on data collected from field research in Mozambique and Angola and on the review of some recent literature on the subject.