Understanding land-use change conflict: a systematic review of case studies

The growing demand for food, water, and shelter change the way people use land. These changes have affected or even caused conflict in several locations. However, conflicts do not erupt in isolation; they are the result of multiple interacting causes. There is limited structural understanding of these causes. In this study, we systematically coded case studies that report on conflict related to land-use change, including deforestation in commodity frontiers, agricultural development on common land, and urban development. Based on an analysis of 62 cases, we identified population growth, overlapping land rights, ethnic fragmentation, and economic inequality as the most frequently reported root causes, while rises in land prices was the most often reported proximate cause. Reported institutional causes suggest that the problem is not necessarily the complete absence of governance mechanisms, but rather that governance mechanisms are not fully equipped to deal with the complexities of the observed land-use changes.

Automated summary

The increasing demand for food, water, and shelter has changed the way land is used, resulting in conflicts. Research has shown that population growth, overlapping land rights, ethnic fragmentation, and economic inequality are the root causes of conflict related to land-use change, while rises in land prices are the most frequently reported immediate cause. Reported institutional causes indicate that governance mechanisms are not fully equipped to handle the complexity of observed land-use changes.