Countries
(4) Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
ResourcesFish, Biodiversity, Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryEnvironmental degradation of the Aral Sea in Central Asia has caused a loss of livelihoods and led to resource competition over water amongst the states sharing the...
Conflict SummaryThe Narmada River is one of the largest rivers in the Indian subcontinent. Following Indian independence in 1947, the Government of India proposed numerous damming...
Conflict SummaryThe Sardar Sarovar Dam, constructed on the sacred Narmada River, aims to secure power, as well as irrigation and drinking water, for the drought-prone region. However,...
Conflict SummaryViolent clashes between the Masalit and Reizegat Abbala are one of many conflicts originating from diminishing land and water resources in the wake of spreading...
Conflict SummaryPiracy off the Somali coast significantly rose in the wake of severe drought and famine in 2008. Climatic changes attributed to global warming and shrinking fish...
Conflict SummaryConflicts between farmers and herders, and between different pastoralist groups, in the Sahel frequently revolve around issues of contested land use (grazing vs. crop...
Conflict SummaryA local famer-herder conflict over grazing rights in the Mauritanian-Senegal border region has triggered a spiral of violence between Senegalese and Mauritanians in...
ResourcesFish, Biodiversity, Air (Pollution), Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water, Ecosystem Stability, Resilience of the environment
Conflict SummarySince the 1950s and the discovery of oil on the Ogoni territory in Niger Delta, oil-exploitation activities have been conducted at the expense of the population and of...
Conflict SummaryThe construction of the Rogun Dam situated on the Vakhsh River, a tributary of the Amu Darya River, is a major source of contention between Tajikistan, located...
Conflict SummaryClosely linked to South Sudan's deteriorating environmental conditions, communal conflicts over land, livestock and water have played an important part in the...
Conflict SummaryThe Dinka and Nuer, two rival pastoralist groups, have competed over grazing land and water for their cattle in the past. These clashes have usually taken place in a...
Conflict SummaryThe rivalry between the Lou Nuer and the Murle remains one of the most violent communal conflicts in the world despite numerous resolution attempts by the government,...
ResourcesFish, Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryConflict between the Jikany and Lou sections of the Nuer revolves around land and access to water for their cattle. Uneven disarmament by the government has further...
Conflict SummaryToposa and Didinga have repeatedly clashed over land, livestock and water in the past. In 2013, however, the two groups could reach a peace agreement and hostilities...
Conflict SummarySince the early 1980s, conflicts over land and water between Awlad Zeid and Zaghawa pastoralists have become more violent due to a variety of reasons including...
Conflict SummaryDesertification, deforestation and environmental degradation have exacerbated resource conflicts between the Beni Halba and Gimir communities. Clashes over land...
Conflict SummaryDiminishing land resources, partly caused by spreading desertification and poor resource management, have intensified cattle raiding and territorial disputes between...
Conflict SummaryViolent clashes between Habaniya and Reizegat Baggara pastoralists in 2006 are one of many communal conflicts originating from diminishing land and water resources in...
Conflict SummaryLivestock raiding and low intensity communal clashes over access to land and water have a long tradition among pastoralist and farming communities in Sudan’s western...
Conflict SummaryThe development policy of the Cambodian government might cause deforestation, illegal-logging and land grabbing, which threatens small farmers and indigenous...
Conflict SummaryAs is true for the entire Amazon region, the Ecuadorian Amazon region has undergone different phases of colonization. This has created land and territorial conflict...
Conflict SummaryAlthough the economies of Latin American countries remain primarily agrarian, some industrialization has also generated socio-environmental conflict, especially in...
Conflict SummaryThe situation of increasing water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change and different water uses, has led to conflicts over water management in the Ica River Basin,...
Conflict SummaryCanaima National Park is located in southeastern Venezuela, near the border with Brazil and Guyana, and inside the ancestral territory of the Pemon Indigenous Peoples....
Conflict SummaryAlthough land grabbing is a worldwide phenomenon, poor Cambodian farmers and indigenous tribes are particularly affected by governmental seizures in favour of private...
ResourcesAir (Pollution), Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryEcuador’s 2013-2017 Program of Government lists integrated solid waste management (ISWM) as a current topic on Ecuador’s national agenda. The program calls for the...
Conflict SummaryAmidst serious drought conditions and increased water demand in South Africa in 1986, the Government of South Africa facilitated a military coup against Lesotho’s...
Conflict SummaryOn 22 December 2014, the Nicaraguan Government and Chinese Company HK Nicaragua Development Investment (HKND) inaugurated construction of an inter-oceanic canal from...
Conflict SummaryThe war in Darfur, Sudan is frequently cited as a classic example of a 'climate conflict’. Climate variability in the Sahel, which culminated with devastating...
Conflict SummaryIn 1976, a contract was signed to allow the extraction of coal in Colombia’s Atlantic region. For nearly 40 years, conflicts have persisted between the companies...
Conflict SummaryThe Barro Blanco hydroelectric project has been rejected by the communities of the Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous peoples and by environmental organizations. It is one of the...
Conflict SummaryThe construction of the world's largest dam on the world's third largest river (the Yangtze River) has displaced some 1.2 million people. The Three Gorges...
Conflict SummaryClimate change and transforming water usage patterns in the Indus river basin have placed increasing stress on the foundations of the Indus Water Treaty. This scenario...
Conflict SummaryTo mitigate increasing energy demands and the pressures of shrinking water resources, the Kalabagh dam is planned to be constructed in the Indus basin in Punjab. Fear...
Conflict SummaryThe long-standing conflict over water from the Cauvery River between the Indian states Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has recently resurfaced in the context of drier climate...
Conflict SummaryBangladeshi illegal immigration into Assam as a result of changed climatic patterns and deteriorating economic and social conditions in Bangladesh has led to ethnic...
ResourcesFish, Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryThe construction of the Farakka Barrage in India along the Ganges has created water stress in Bangladesh by exacerbating the dry season and increasing the likelihood...
Conflict SummaryBangladesh experienced a boom in shrimp farming during the 1980s to feed growing international demand. The expansion of shrimp cultivation has led to land grabbing and...
Conflict SummaryFamine in North Korea has caused refugees to migrate to China. This has been a point of contention between China and North Korea, and other international parties, such...
Conflict SummaryFollowing the 1990 coup d’état in Chad, thousands of Toubou fled southward into territories inhabited by Fulani herders, fueling clashes over grazing rights.
Conflict SummaryClimate change has driven nomadic Fulani herders of the Sahel further south, where they compete for access to land and water with settled Zarma farmers. Sporadic...
Conflict SummaryIn the context of armed conflicts in Chad and neighbouring Sudan, communal violence pitted Tama and Zaghawa groups against each other in eastern Chad. Frequently,...
ResourcesFish, Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryThe construction of the Myitsone Dam along the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar has caused protests and conflict between rebel groups and government forces. The Chinese...
ResourcesFish, Biodiversity, Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryMyanmar confirmed the approval of six dam projects for the Salween River in 2013. These hydro-electric dams are to be built in conflict zones currently destabilised by...
ResourcesFish, Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryPlans to build the Hatgyi Dam in the middle of a civil war zone in the state of Karen in Myanmar, led to violence between the Burma Army and the rebel independence...
Conflict SummarySahel droughts in the 1970s and 1980 contributed to the outbreak of Tuareg insurgencies in both Mali and Niger in the early 1990s. After a period of peace, violence...
Conflict SummaryThe Tuareg Rebellion against the government of Mali (1990-1995) was primarily motivated by the economic and political marginalization of Mali’s northern Azawad region....
Conflict SummaryFrom 1991 to 1997 different Tuareg groups were active in an armed struggle against the Government of Niger, demanding greater political autonomy and development funds...
Conflict SummaryThe displacement of civilians and the destruction of their livelihoods as a result of land grabbing in Myanmar has led to clashes between Burmese authorities and...
Conflict SummarySince 1997, the two villages of Quradah and Al-Marzooh in the Jabal Sabr Mountain are fighting over access to water. Plans for an upstream diversion of a spring by one...
Conflict SummaryIn 2014, farmers protested against government inaction to address land grabbing in Thegon. The farmers were met with police violence and charges for disturbing the...
Countries
(2) United States of America, Philippines
ResourcesFish, Water
Conflict SummaryThe closure of U.S. military bases and the lack of responsibility for the U.S. to clean up toxic waste that contaminates the site and surrounding environment has been...
Conflict SummaryFlooding which affected some two million people in Thailand in 2011, fueled civil resentment towards the newly elected government. The floods resulted from...
Conflict SummaryFailure of fast and effective post-disaster reconstruction in the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 has led to citizen protests and conflict with anti...
Conflict SummaryIncreasing demand for palm oil for use in biofuels, amongst other products, has led to drastic increases in land grabbing and deforestation in Indonesia. Indigenous...
ResourcesBiodiversity, Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryThe construction of a gold mine in the Andes has affected glacial melting patterns and water quality, leading to protests, legal battles and compensation claims for...
Conflict SummaryDuring the Tuareg rebellion of 1990-1995 many farming communities in northern Mali formed self-defence militias. In 1994, these merged into a larger organisation known...
Conflict SummaryPastoralist groups in the Karamoja region have been engaged for centuries in cycles of reciprocal livestock raiding, involving inter-communal armed violence. With the...
Conflict SummaryLivestock raiding and competition for water and pastures lead to cycles of reciprocal violence between different pastoralist groups in north-western Kenya. More...
Conflict SummaryLivestock raiding and competition for water and pastures lead to cycles of reciprocal violence between pastoralist groups in Uganda’s north-eastern Karamoja region....
Conflict SummaryLivestock raiding and competition for water and pastures lead to cycles of reciprocal violence between pastoralist groups in the Kenyan-Ugandan border region. More...
ResourcesBiodiversity, Air (Pollution), Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryLarge-scale mining activities by the Canadian Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corporation (PVDC) have induced strong protests amongst local and national stakeholders in the...
Conflict SummaryThe ongoing construction of the Santa Rita Dam Project has sparked severe unrest among affected communities, state authorities and corporations involved in the project...
Conflict SummaryIn 2010, the planning and construction of a new aqueduct sparked protest and political unrest among various stakeholders. However, this unrest was especially prevalent...
Conflict SummaryMarlin mine, owned by the Montana Exploradora de Guatemala S.A. company, a subsidiary of Goldcorp Inc. of Vancouver, Canada, is located on Guatemala's western...
Conflict SummaryThe “El Tambor” mining project, also known as “Progreso VII”, operates through the Exploraciones Mineras de Guatemala S.A. Company (Exmigua), a subsidiary of the...
Conflict SummaryTo cope with logging and illegal logging, and the obstruction of access to water sources by the owners of haciendas in Montaña Las Granadillas, located in the province...
Conflict SummaryRising population numbers and environmental degradation in rural South Africa accelerated rural-urban migration during the late 1980s. Increased competition for...
Conflict SummaryIn 2000, privatisation of the drinking water in Cochabamba incurred violent protests and escalated into the so-called Water War of Cochabamba, which killed at least...
Conflict SummaryThe proposed Kambar-Ata-1 Dam situated on the Naryn River in central Kyrgyzstan has been a source of tension between upstream Kyrgyzstan and downstream Uzbekistan....
Conflict SummaryThe Ferghana Valley, a single 300km geographical formation, has been a source of inter-ethnic conflict since the disintegration of the USSR and the partitions made by...
ResourcesFish, Biodiversity, Air (Pollution), Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryShell’s oil-exploitation activities in the Niger Delta in Nigeria have been destroying the ecosystem and livelihood of the population since the 1950s. After pushing...
Conflict SummaryThe Euphrates-Tigris Basin is shared between Turkey, Syria and Iraq, with Iran comprising parts of the Tigris basin. Since the 1960s, unilateral irrigation plans...
ResourcesAgricultural / Pastoral Land, Water, Resilience of the environment
Conflict SummarySeveral studies have pointed to a link between climate change and the civil war in Syria, which started in 2011 and is still ongoing. The direct causes of the conflict...
Conflict SummaryJordan, located downstream of the Yarmouk River, is dependent on cooperation with its upstream neighbour Syria. Over the course of the 20th century, Jordan concluded...
Conflict SummaryThere has long been a conflict over water rights among the riparian countries of the Eastern Nile Basin (Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia). The dispute has escalated in...
Countries
(11) S. Sudan, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Congo (Kinshasa), Egypt, Sudan
ResourcesAgricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryThe Nile basin features significant conflict over access to and rights over the Nile water resources among its eleven riparian countries. The Nile Basin Initiative ...
Conflict SummaryThe rivers of the Jordan system all have a transboundary nature, a configuration which requires cooperation amongst all co-riparians to achieve sustainable water...
Conflict SummaryThe Turkish/Armenian case is a prominent example of how two co-riparians can put their tensions aside, work together in their mutual interest, and share transboundary...
Conflict SummaryFrom the 1960s to the 1990s, tensions among the co-riparian states of the Euphrates-Tigris Basin hampered cooperation over the rivers. Since 1999 , when Turkey was...
Conflict SummaryTurkey and Armenia succeeded in putting aside their tensions to continue cooperation over the Arpacay River on water-sharing issues. However, this cooperation needs to...
Conflict SummaryWater sharing issues form an important part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The 1990s in particular witnessed extensive efforts to reach a peace agreement and to...
Conflict SummaryWater-quality issues form an important part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite the efforts of the countries’ leaders to establish peace and to jointly...
Conflict SummaryThe Shatt al-Arab River forms the boundaries between Iran and Iraq before flowing into the Persian Gulf. Due to its strategic importance for both Iraq and Iran, for...
Conflict SummaryIn 2007-2008 and 2011-2012, Morocco experienced protests, which a number of the media reported as “bread riots”. However, even though Morocco is highly dependent on...
Conflict SummaryAs a result of frequent droughts, civil war and disrupted livelihoods, pastoralist communities in Somalia increasingly turn to charcoal production as an alternative...
Conflict SummaryThe Chinese central government is seeking to address the highly uneven distribution of domestic water resources through the construction of a vast water diversion...
Conflict SummarySince the end of the Second World War, the South China Sea has been considered to be a major region of instability in Southeast Asia. Whilst territorial disputes over...
Conflict SummaryPlans to mine the Niyamgiri Hills fostered conflicts between indigenous peoples in the eastern Indian state of Odisha and a large multinational mining corporation...
Conflict SummaryThis brief case illustrates the drivers behind Russia's grain export ban as an example for the policy dynamics of a major grain exporter and the consequences for...
Conflict SummaryThe Gobi region has limited surface water resources and low annual rainfall. Oyu Tolgoi is one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits located in the...
ResourcesBiodiversity, Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryWater scarcity has become an increasingly severe issue in northern China. Over-withdrawal of surface water and groundwater for industry, farmland and domestic...
Conflict SummaryGrievances among local people over the Quebec Iron and Titanium Madagascar Minerals (QMM) company in Madagascar led to major public protests, which resulted in a...
Conflict SummaryThis analysis highlights the factors leading to global food-price shocks, explains how the impacts of food price spikes differ depending on countries and points out...
Conflict SummaryLebanon is highly dependent on food imports and thus has to cope with the volatility of global food prices. Whereas price-related food riots in 1987 led to several...
Conflict SummaryEthnic and religious marginalisation caused a civil conflict in Sri Lanka, lasting about thirty years. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami exacerbated the existing conflict...
Conflict SummaryIn the decades between the early 1970s and the beginning of the 2000s, the northern Indonesian province of Aceh was exposed to a civil conflict between the central...
Conflict SummaryAs world commodity prices rose in 2007 and 2010, Egypt experienced significant food price increases, followed by strikes and protests. Beyond the food crisis however,...
Conflict SummaryThe causes of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda are manifold and controversially discussed. While acknowledging the importance of factors, such as colonial legacy, economic...
Conflict SummaryFrequent droughts in Somalia put significant pressures on pastoral livelihoods. Droughts cause herders to sell more of their livestock than they would under normal...
Conflict SummaryConflict between the pastoralist Sa’ad and Suleiman sub clans of the Habar Gidir clan revolves around access to water and grazing land. The scarcity of these natural...
Conflict SummarySince the start of deep well drilling in the 1970s, Yemen’s groundwater resources have diminished at a rapid pace - fostered by state subsidies and the absence of...
ResourcesFish, Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryAs the third and thus far largest dam on the Ethiopian Omo River, the nearly finished Gibe III hydroelectric dam is expected to make an important contribution to...
Conflict SummaryLarge scale land acquisitions by Kenyan and foreign companies in Kenya’s Tana River Delta are reducing available pastures and farmland for local communities. Forced to...
Conflict SummaryMore frequent droughts have exacerbated resource conflicts between Pokomo farmers and Orma herders in the Tana River Delta, Kenya. Pressures from outside investors and...
Conflict SummaryThe Omo-Turkana basin stretches from southern Ethiopia into Kenya. Temperatures in the region are rising and droughts occur with higher frequency and intensity. As...
Conflict SummaryEgypt is currently using more water than its internal renewable resources, mainly based on Nile fresh water inflows, supply. Water stress in Egypt is expected to...
Conflict SummaryAs a consequence of severe mismanagement, Yemen’s water availability is declining dramatically. The impacts on the people are unequally distributed, and corruption and...
Conflict SummaryProgressive warming and frequent droughts have aggravated an already complicated security situation in northern Mali. Despite a recent agreement with northern rebel...
Conflict SummaryWith land investment in Ethiopia intensifying due to high demand for biofuels in developed countries, local populations are being forced to leave their land and give...
Conflict SummarySince 2007, the Philippine authorities have increasingly been offering large swathes of land to foreign companies and governments. To clear the way for investors,...
Conflict SummaryLand distribution has been a salient issue for decades in the Philippines. In recent years though, population growth and degradation of productive land has led to...
Conflict SummaryThis case looks into the recent growth of large-scale land acquisitions which mostly occur in Africa and Asia. The analysis highlights the drivers of this phenomenon,...
Conflict SummaryAfghanistan’s efforts to harness the waters of the Helmand River and the Harirud to support post-conflict reconstruction and development have alarmed Iran. The Iranian...
Conflict SummaryThe issue of water resources sharing and management has played an important role in the Sudan-South Sudan peace process. In the 2005-2011 interim period, the...
Conflict SummaryTo promote peace, regional cooperation, and development in the Lower Mekong Basin, the United Nations (UN) encouraged the creation of an intergovernmental agency for...
Countries
(5) Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, China
ResourcesWater
Conflict SummaryThe Mekong basin is witnessing an enormous expansion of dam-building for hydropower generation, especially in China and Laos. This has led to diplomatic tensions as...
Conflict SummaryAfter the independence of Namibia in 1990, a number of water-related disagreements have emerged between the Orange River riparians South Africa and Namibia. These...
Countries
(9) Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Algeria, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Jordan
ResourcesAgricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryThis case study explores the ways in which soaring global food prices have interacted with other risk factors in the MENA region to create conditions ripe for revolt....
Conflict SummaryIn Tunisia, food price inflation and declining living standards - exacerbated by strong volatility in international food prices - contributed to strong grievances...
Conflict SummarySince the establishment of the Mafia Island Marine Park in eastern Tanzania for conservation purposes, local access to fisheries and other maritime resources has been...
Conflict SummaryIn 1992, plans for converting the Loita Forest – known as the ‘Forest of the Lost Child’ – into a forest reserve met strong opposition from local Maasai communities,...
ResourcesFish, Biodiversity, Agricultural / Pastoral Land, Water
Conflict SummaryIn 2010, the Honduran company Desarrollos Energeticos S.A. (DESA) initiated construction of the Agua Zarca dam on indigenous Lenca territory in western Honduras as...
Conflict SummaryHurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, causing severe destruction along the Gulf coast between Florida and Texas. The city of New Orleans in the state of...
Conflict SummaryIran is facing a severe water crisis. Drought, rising water demand, degradation and mismanagement of water resources put pressure on society and feed into wider...
Countries
(6) Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Nigeria, Niger, Chad
ResourcesAgricultural / Pastoral Land
Conflict SummaryProminent extremist organisations, including Boko Haram, al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Islamic State affiliated groups, have flourished in the last decade...
Conflict SummaryPolitical neglect, ideology and economic hardship drive recruitment for the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan. As rural communities depend heavily on water for their...
Conflict SummaryLarge scale agribusiness projects in Senegal engendered protests from villagers and pastoralists occupying the land who already face pressures from the effects of...
Conflict SummaryKilosa, a district of the Morogoro region in Eastern Tanzania, has a history of resource-related conflicts surrounding land and forest tenure and management. These...
Conflict SummaryThe Kasese district in Western Uganda is characterized by a long history of armed conflict between ethnic groups and tensions over limited resources. With water...