Weathering conflict: The effect of resource shocks on livestock raids

We examine the impact of climate shocks and drought insurance on inter-communal pastoral conflict in Kenya and Ethiopia. Using NASA’s eMODIS satellite data on pasture availability and a 40-season longitudinal household dataset, our findings highlight the dual role of pasture scarcity and pasture abu...

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Autores principales: Jensen, Nathaniel D., López-Rivas, Jose D., Morsink, Karlijn, Rikken, Emma E.
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: University of Oxford Centre for the Study of African Economies 2025
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175107
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author Jensen, Nathaniel D.
López-Rivas, Jose D.
Morsink, Karlijn
Rikken, Emma E.
author_browse Jensen, Nathaniel D.
López-Rivas, Jose D.
Morsink, Karlijn
Rikken, Emma E.
author_facet Jensen, Nathaniel D.
López-Rivas, Jose D.
Morsink, Karlijn
Rikken, Emma E.
author_sort Jensen, Nathaniel D.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description We examine the impact of climate shocks and drought insurance on inter-communal pastoral conflict in Kenya and Ethiopia. Using NASA’s eMODIS satellite data on pasture availability and a 40-season longitudinal household dataset, our findings highlight the dual role of pasture scarcity and pasture abundance in driving conflict, contingent on seasonal timing. Negative shocks leading to pasture scarcity increase conflict in dry seasons, while positive shocks that lead to pasture abundance fuel conflict in subsequent rainy seasons. Leveraging exogenous variation in drought insurance, we find that while insurance reduces conflict on average, this masks important heterogeneity. Ex post indemnity payments mitigate conflict during droughts, but ex ante insurance coverage exacerbates conflict when pasture is abundant in rainy seasons. These findings highlight the dual relationship between resource availability and conflict, and the importance of considering the impact of policy interventions in this light.
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spelling CGSpace1751072026-01-25T12:03:17Z Weathering conflict: The effect of resource shocks on livestock raids Jensen, Nathaniel D. López-Rivas, Jose D. Morsink, Karlijn Rikken, Emma E. drought livestock insurance pastoralism rangelands conflict We examine the impact of climate shocks and drought insurance on inter-communal pastoral conflict in Kenya and Ethiopia. Using NASA’s eMODIS satellite data on pasture availability and a 40-season longitudinal household dataset, our findings highlight the dual role of pasture scarcity and pasture abundance in driving conflict, contingent on seasonal timing. Negative shocks leading to pasture scarcity increase conflict in dry seasons, while positive shocks that lead to pasture abundance fuel conflict in subsequent rainy seasons. Leveraging exogenous variation in drought insurance, we find that while insurance reduces conflict on average, this masks important heterogeneity. Ex post indemnity payments mitigate conflict during droughts, but ex ante insurance coverage exacerbates conflict when pasture is abundant in rainy seasons. These findings highlight the dual relationship between resource availability and conflict, and the importance of considering the impact of policy interventions in this light. 2025-03 2025-06-16T17:00:24Z 2025-06-16T17:00:24Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175107 en Open Access application/pdf University of Oxford Centre for the Study of African Economies Jensen, N.D., Lopez-Rivas, J., Morsink, K., and Rikken, E. 2025. Weathering conflict: The effect of resource shocks on livestock raids. CSAE Working Paper 2025-02. Oxford: University of Oxford Centre for the Study of African Economies.
spellingShingle drought
livestock
insurance
pastoralism
rangelands
conflict
Jensen, Nathaniel D.
López-Rivas, Jose D.
Morsink, Karlijn
Rikken, Emma E.
Weathering conflict: The effect of resource shocks on livestock raids
title Weathering conflict: The effect of resource shocks on livestock raids
title_full Weathering conflict: The effect of resource shocks on livestock raids
title_fullStr Weathering conflict: The effect of resource shocks on livestock raids
title_full_unstemmed Weathering conflict: The effect of resource shocks on livestock raids
title_short Weathering conflict: The effect of resource shocks on livestock raids
title_sort weathering conflict the effect of resource shocks on livestock raids
topic drought
livestock
insurance
pastoralism
rangelands
conflict
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/175107
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