Climate Change, Development and Conflict-Fragility Nexus in the Sahel
Publisher: Brookings Africa Growth Initiative
Author(s): Ahmadou Aly Mbaye and Landry Signé
Date: 2022
Topics: Climate Change, Conflict Causes, Disasters, Governance, Land, Livelihoods, Renewable Resources
Countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal
More than 40 years after a catastrophic famine struck the region, the Sahel has once again become the focus of global attention. Poor economic performance, growing instability, and deteriorating climate conditions have combined to produce a vicious circle of increased poverty, instability, and communal violence. By drying out sources of livelihoods for populations mainly dependent on natural resources, climate change reinforces long-existing rivalries and increasingly triggers violence. In this paper, we argue that while climate change is a proximate cause of violence, institutional failures and clientelism1 are the actual root causes.