Darfur: the new ground zero? Armed violence and environmental change, making the connections.

This research project seeks to explain the causes of the conflict in Darfur. Resource scarcity and environmental degradation have played a role, but political factors cannot be ignored. There is a need for a more comprehensive approach in dealing with the root causes of the conflict. There are flaws in both the “strictly” Malthusian approach, and the “strictly” political approach. Instead, we need to look at both the environmental and political causes of conflict in order to have suitable policies for the area. In the future climate change might play a more significant role in conflict and development.