The Role of Local Social Diversity in Climate-Induced Violent Events

• In Event: Poster Session: State Politics & Conflict Processes: Violence and Contention by States and Non-State Actors
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Conflict Processes: Violence and Contention by States and Non-State Actors

Abstract

Does local social diversity increase the risk of climate-induced violence? Scholars find climate change is a risk factor for violent conflict because of economic distress, such as food insecurity and environmental resource competition. However, worsening economic factors might not explain the whole climate-conflict linkage because their impact is nuanced by other factors. In this paper, I highlight sociocultural factors that can increase climate-induced conflict risk. I hypothesize that local social diversity can influence the likelihood of climate change-induced violent conflict in Sub-Saharan Africa. I estimate the effects using climate and violent events data and the local ethnolinguistic diversity index. My research shed light on the importance of social conditions that make places vulnerable to climate change-induced conflict.

Author

• Jiyoung Kim, University of California, Los Angeles