World Vision’s assessment reveals strong link between land degradation and conflict

This year’s Earth Day (22 April), a new assessment conducted for World Vision highlights how land degradation and conflict are driving the hunger crisis in 23 of the worst affected countries.

The assessment was conducted by Ai Superior for World Vision in April 2023, and looked at 23 countries with populations in IPC4/5, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guatemala, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda.

The findings reveal that areas experiencing land degradation are likely to experience 32% more deaths, 24% more conflicts and 23% more days of conflict in the six months afterwards. Increases in conflict are also likely to lead to increased land degradation in the following six months.

“These findings show the negative loop between land degradation, hunger, and conflict, and just how much of it is due to human actions,” said Isabel Gomes, World Vision’s Global Director for Humanitarian Operations. “The patterns we saw of land degradation leading to increased likelihood of conflict-related deaths, and vice versa, is despite an overall trend in increased vegetation since 1989.” Over the past three decades, there has been a 79% increase in green vegetation cover in countries experiencing acute food insecurity or at risk of famine.

Gomes said: “Even though the problem of land degradation has actually decreased over the past thirty years, this research shows that, where there is land degradation there is a strong link to conflict, and where there is conflict, we often see a subsequent increase in land degradation. This finding underscores the troubling reality that famine is an issue of politics rather than arable land and food production. As a man-made issue, preventing famine calls for man-made solutions. It is the way we are treating our planet – and each other – that is causing a loss of life, damage to the environment, and ultimately, a high risk of hunger.”

The economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have added new stress to already fragile situations. In countries experiencing land degradation and conflict, the most vulnerable people are struggling to get enough to eat as the crisis destroys livelihoods and incomes, drives up food prices and increases child malnutrition.

“There is no place for hunger in the twenty-first century and the current global hunger crisis is man-made. This new analysis shows us that taking care of our environment, could help mitigate the risk of conflict in some contexts, and reduce the length of these conflicts – saving lives, reducing vulnerability, and helping communities recover faster,” said Gomes. “Making investments to prevent land degradation, pursue peace, and address other man-made stressors are crucial in order to prevent the deaths of millions of children from malnutrition.”


Published on 20 Apr 2023