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Abstract

Many conflicts are enabled by environmental instability . This has been especially problematical in sub-Saharan Africa where non-sustainable practices and environmental change have combined with the proliferation of failing governments, enabling longstanding ethnic and religious antagonisms to erupt into violent conflicts . History has demonstrated that environmental stress can result in conflict, frequently along ethnic lines . Thus, the concept of environmental security has emerged as one basis for understanding conflict . To that end, this paper examines the nexus between the environment and conflict and demonstrates the need for careful environmental analysis by presenting a model illustrating the relationship between natural resources and political stability in Sub-Saharan Africa . The results suggest that a statistically significant relationship exists between arable land and access to fresh water, and political stability and non-violence.

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