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Armed Conflict and The Environment: A Critique of the Literature

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  • Nils Petter Gleditsch

    (International Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) & Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim)

Abstract

Conflict over scarce resources, such as minerals, fish, water, and particularly territory, is a traditional source of armed struggle. Recently, wideranging claims have been made to the effect that environmental degradation will increase resource scarcity and therefore contribute to an increase in armed conflict. So far, there has been much controversy and little relevant systematic study of this phenomenon. Most scholarship on the relationship between resources, the environment, and armed conflict suffers from one or more of the following problems: (1) there is a lack of clarity over what is meant by `environmental conflict'; (2) researchers engage in definitional and polemical exercises rather than analysis; (3) important variables are neglected, notably political and economic factors which have a strong influence on conflict and mediate the influence of resource and environmental factors; (4) some models become so large and complex that they are virtually untestable; (5) cases are selected on values of the dependent variable; (6) the causality of the relationship is reversed; (7) postulated events in the future are cited as empirical evidence; (8) studies fail to distinguish between foreign and domestic conflict; and (9) confusion reigns about the appropriate level of analysis. While no publications are characterized by all of these problems, many have several of them. This article identifies a few lights in the wilderness and briefly outlines a program of research.

Suggested Citation

  • Nils Petter Gleditsch, 1998. "Armed Conflict and The Environment: A Critique of the Literature," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 35(3), pages 381-400, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:sae:joupea:v:35:y:1998:i:3:p:381-400
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    Cited by:

    1. Rafael Reuveny & John W. Maxwell, "undated". "Conflict and Renewable Resources," Working Papers 2004-26, Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, Department of Business Economics and Public Policy.
    2. Strüver, Georg, 2010. "Too Many Resources or Too Few? What Drives International Conflicts?," GIGA Working Papers 147, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.
    3. Christopher Blattman, 2009. "Civil War: A Review of Fifty Years of Research," Working Papers id:2231, eSocialSciences.
    4. Dobes Leo & Jotzo Frank & Stern David I., 2014. "The Economics of Global Climate Change: A Historical Literature Review," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 65(3), pages 281-320, December.
    5. Christopher Blattman & Edward Miguel, 2010. "Civil War," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 48(1), pages 3-57, March.
    6. Eberwein, Wolf-Dieter & Chojnacki, Sven, 2001. "Stürmische Zeiten? Umwelt, Sicherheit und Konflikt," Discussion Papers, Research Group International Politics P 01-303, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    7. Daoud, Adel, 2018. "Unifying Studies of Scarcity, Abundance, and Sufficiency," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 208-217.

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