Topic analysis

Nigeria: How religious divides worsen conflict during drought

New research from the WZB Berlin Social Science Center finds that religious divides between Muslim Fulani herders and majority Christian farming communities are the decisive factor driving escalated violent conflict in Nigeria during droughts, countering the common narrative that climate change alone is the primary cause. The study notes analogous patterns may occur across the Sahel, and recommends policy measures including improved land and water management, early warning systems, and intercommunity mediation in religiously mixed regions to prevent environmental stress from turning deadly.