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Desertification in the Mediterranean Region. A Security Issue pp 109–132Cite as

DESERTIFICATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY. THE CASE OF CONFLICTS BETWEEN FARMERS AND HERDERS IN THE ARID ENVIRONMENTS OF THE SAHEL

  • Conference paper

Part of the NATO Security Through Science Series book series (NASTC,volume 3)

Abstract

Traditional production systems in the Sahel are based on the integration of activities sharing and competing for renewable resources (water and soil fertility) under threat of desertification. A framework of relationships ranking from conflict to collaboration between human groups devoted to agriculture and pastoralism has been developed throughout history and has proven to be successful in sustaining the livelihood of the region’s population. Changes in the economic, social and political structure of the Sahel related to the process of colonization and de-colonization substantially altered the way in which resource scarcity was dealt previously. In a context of widespread social tension and political instability, this is thought to have increased the likelihood of farmers-herders conflicts. In this paper, we explore the worsening security conditions of the rural Sahel in the light of the new environmental security theories, which help to widen the focus of conflict analysis bringing in social, political, economical and environmental issues that were formerly disregarded.

Keywords

  • Environmental Security
  • Violent Conflict
  • Combat Desertification
  • Pastoral People
  • Sahelian Country

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Economic Theory and Economic History, Faculty of Economics and Management. University of Alcala, 28802 Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    Sergio Tirado Herrero

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  1. Sergio Tirado Herrero
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, NV, U.S.A.

    William G. Kepner

  2. Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desterficacion-CIDE, Valencia, Spain

    Jose L. Rubio

  3. Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, U.S.A.

    David A. Mouat

  4. NATO Public Diplomacy Division, Science Committee, Brussels, Belgium

    Fausto Pedrazzini

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Herrero, S.T. (2006). DESERTIFICATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY. THE CASE OF CONFLICTS BETWEEN FARMERS AND HERDERS IN THE ARID ENVIRONMENTS OF THE SAHEL. In: Kepner, W.G., Rubio, J.L., Mouat, D.A., Pedrazzini, F. (eds) Desertification in the Mediterranean Region. A Security Issue. NATO Security Through Science Series, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3760-0_04

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