Geography Theses and Dissertations

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Common Ground: Analyzing the Relationship Between Conflict, Climate and Power in the Republic of Nigeria
(University of Oregon, 2020-02-27) Olson, Dean; Murphy, Alexander
Violence between identity groups over access to productive land in Nigeria has captured the attention of international media outlets over the last two decades. Analysts frame causes in various ways, but it is commonly held that global climate change is causing dramatic environmental degradation, putting herding and farming communities in competition over a diminishing resource base. This representation, however, does not account for social and political dynamics that disempower segments of society and exacerbate already-existing tensions that are a result of the politicization of identity over long periods of time. This thesis examines the relationship between conflict, climate and political power in a mixed-methods framework through textual analysis of historical narratives and statistical analysis of conflict, survey and remote sensing data. The analysis shows that political exclusion is more significantly associated with instances of violent conflict than with low vegetative productivity (a proxy for climate change).