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A Phoenix in Flames?: Portfolio Choice and Violence in Civil War in Rural Burundi

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  • Eleonora Nillesen
  • Philip Verwimp

Abstract

This paper challenges the idea that farmers revert to subsistence farming when confronted with violence from civil war. Macro-economic evidence on economic legacies of civil war suggests that civil wars, while obviously disastrous in the short run, do not need to have persistent effects on long term economic outcomes. New micro-level studies are ambiguous about the impact of civil war for welfare.

Suggested Citation

  • Eleonora Nillesen & Philip Verwimp, 2010. "A Phoenix in Flames?: Portfolio Choice and Violence in Civil War in Rural Burundi," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2010-044, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
  • Handle: RePEc:unu:wpaper:wp-2010-044
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    File URL: https://www.wider.unu.edu/sites/default/files/2010-44.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Martin-Shields, Charles P. & Stojetz, Wolfgang, 2019. "Food security and conflict: Empirical challenges and future opportunities for research and policy making on food security and conflict," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 150-164.
    4. Mohammad, M., 2011. "Incorporating perceptions and experiences of violence into livelihood decision-making," ISS Working Papers - General Series 22622, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    5. Tilman Brück & Patricia Justino & Philip Verwimp & Alexandra Avdeenko & Andrew Tedesco, 2016. "Measuring Violent Conflict in Micro-level Surveys: Current Practices and Methodological Challenges," The World Bank Research Observer, World Bank Group, vol. 31(1), pages 29-58.
    6. Naudé, Wim & Bezuidenhout, Henri, 2012. "Remittances provide resilience against disasters in Africa," MERIT Working Papers 2012-026, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    7. Carlos Bozzoli & Tilman Brueck & Tony Muhumuza, 2016. "Activity Choices Of Internally Displaced Persons And Returnees: Quantitative Survey Evidence From Post-War Northern Uganda," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(4), pages 329-347, October.
    8. Tilman Brück & Patricia Justino & Philip Verwimp & Andrew Tedesco & Alexandra Avdeenko, 2013. "Measuring Conflict Exposure in Micro-Level Surveys," HiCN Working Papers 153, Households in Conflict Network.
    9. Arias, María Alejandra & Ibáñez, Ana María & Zambrano, Andrés, 2019. "Agricultural production amid conflict: Separating the effects of conflict into shocks and uncertainty," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 165-184.
    10. Tilman Brück & Patricia Justino & Philip Verwimp & Alexandra Avdeenko, 2010. "Identifying Conflict and Violence in Micro-Level Surveys," Economics of Security Working Paper Series 38, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    11. David B. Audretsch & Paul P. Momtaz & Hanna Motuzenko & Silvio Vismara, 2023. "War and Entrepreneurship: A Synthetic Control Study of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict," CESifo Working Paper Series 10466, CESifo.
    12. Brück, Tilman & Naudé, Wim & Verwimp, Philip, 2013. "Entrepreneurship and Violent Conflict in Developing Countries," WIDER Working Paper Series 028, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    13. Badiuzzaman, Muhammad & Cameron, John & Murshed, S. Mansoob, 2013. "Livelihood Decisions Under the Shadow of Conflict in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh," WIDER Working Paper Series 006, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    14. María Alejandra Arias & Ana María Ibáñez & Andrés Zambrano, 2014. "Agricultural Production Amid Conflict: The Effects of Shocks, Uncertainty, and Governance of Non-State Armed Actors," Documentos CEDE 11005, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    15. Wim Naudé & Henri Bezuidenhout, 2014. "Migrant Remittances Provide Resilience Against Disasters in Africa," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 42(1), pages 79-90, March.
    16. Muhammad Badiuzzaman & John Cameron & Mansoob Murshed, 2013. "Livelihood Decisions Under the Shadow of Conflict in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2013-006, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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