Dams and Social Contentions in Africa

• In Event: Dissent, Piracy, and Protests: Water Resources and Violence

Abstract

This study examines how dams affect social contentions in Africa. We argue that dams have significant influences on social contentions in Africa, but the relationships between dams and social contentions are different depending on the types of dams. By using the data on dams drawn from the International Commission on Large Dams, we differentiate dams into two types: water management dams that focus on provisions of public goods, such as hydroelectricity, and water supply dams that control water supply, irrigation for instance. We argue that water management dams reduce the likelihood of social contentions due to the benefits resulting from water management, while water supply dams increase the chances for social contentions. Using the Social Conflict Analysis Dataset, we test how water management dams and water supply dams are associated with social contentions in Africa. We find that water management dams decrease the likelihood of intrastate armed conflict, while water supply dams increase some forms of social contentions, including extra-state violent attack.

Authors

• Sojeong Lee, University of Tennessee

• Krista E. Wiegand, University of Tennessee