Climate-Induced Migration and Violent Conflicts in West Africa

Abstract

Climate change is reshaping social realities in West Africa, driving forced migration and contributing to violent conflict. Drought, flooding, soil erosion, and other ecological disruptions are displacing communities, creating climate refugees and internally displaced persons. These migrations often spark violent clashes with host communities, revealing an emerging nexus between climate change, migration, and violent conflict. This paper, grounded in new criminology, situates climate-induced migration within broader structures of inequality, marginalisation, and social dislocation. Within this theoretical lens, it examines how environmental change produces criminogenic conditions and how displaced populations are often criminalised or securitised. The central research question is: How does climate-induced migration contribute to the emergence and escalation of violent conflict in West Africa? To answer this question, the study pursues three objectives: (1) to identify patterns of climate- induced migration in the region; (2) to analyse how these migration dynamics fuel violent conflicts; and (3) to propose strategies for mitigating the conflict potential of climate-driven displacement  in West Africa.  Data  —qualitative  and  quantitative  —  were  derived  from secondary sources: academic literature, conflict research reports and statistics, and policy documents. Discourse and thematic analysis of qualitative data complemented descriptive statistical analysis of patterns of migration and violent conflict. The paper argues that addressing climate-induced conflicts requires more than security responses; it demands resilience-building policies that integrate justice, equity, and sustainability. It contends that climate migrants should not be criminalised or securitised, but rather recognised as victims of global environmental injustice and afforded inclusive protection mechanisms. It contributes to the theme of Climate Change, Environment and Resilience by foregrounding the criminological dimensions of environmental change and advancing strategies for building peaceful, adaptive communities in the face of ecological disruptions.