Climate Change, Resource Scarcity and Conflicts in Omor and its Environs, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract

Climate change-induced environmental stress is intensifying localized resource conflicts in agrarian communities, particularly where governance is weak and livelihoods depend heavily on land and water. This study investigates the nexus of climate variability, resource scarcity, and conflict dynamics in Omor and its environs within Ayamelum Local Government Area, Anambra State, Nigeria. Using an integrated theoretical lens, the study employs a qualitative, multi-method approach including two rounds of in-depth interviews, key informant consultations and direct participant observations. Findings reveal that prolonged dry seasons, erratic rainfall, and drying streams have diminished access to water and fertile land, increasing competition and triggering violent disputes, particularly over farmland boundaries and fishing rights. Community observations identified poor borehole infrastructure, reliance on seasonal streams, and fragmented governance structures. Land and water emerged as flashpoints, with conflicts often escalating into intercommunal violence and herderfarmer clashes, some resulting in deaths and military intervention. Field data indicates that the community’s governance is largely traditional but poorly resourced, with low to moderate conflict-mediation capacity. While local actors employ traditional mediation and avoidance behaviors, state responses remain reactive and under sustained. Participants expressed hope for future state-led interventions, particularly around boundary demarcation and water infrastructure, yet also criticized elite manipulation, political fragmentation, and institutional delays. Despite pervasive conflict, adaptive behaviors such as rain harvesting, informal negotiation, and artisanal resource use (example is clay mining) reveal community resilience. This research provides rare empirical insight into southeastern Nigeria’s underexplored climate–conflict landscape. It highlights how climate-induced stress intersects with structural inequality, poor governance, and historical land rivalries to produce complex conflict ecologies. It concludes by advocating for participatory land reforms, robust governance support, and integrated peacebuilding approaches to mitigate rising climate-security risks in rural Nigeria.