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Headshot of Lina Eklund

Lina Eklund

Researcher

Headshot of Lina Eklund

Drylands as frontlines of adaptation: A shift away from the climate-conflict narrative

Author

  • Lina Eklund

Summary, in English

Drylands account for a disproportionate share of the world’s armed conflicts, a pattern frequently interpreted through the lens of resource scarcity– where climate change and water stress are seen as primary drivers of violence. While this framing underscores critical environmental pressures, it risks simplifying the complex social, ecological and political realities of these regions. This article critically examines the climate-conflict narrative surrounding Syria, which posits that drought-induced agricultural collapse and rural outmigration significantly contributed to the onset of civil war. Building on this critique, the paper advocates for a broader conceptual shift– viewing drylands not solely as zones of vulnerability, but as landscapes of endurance. In these regions, communities often navigate both extreme climatic conditions and chronic insecurity, which together constrain agricultural productivity and perpetuate poverty. This perspective highlights the adaptive capacities of dryland populations and the lessons they offer for understanding survival under compound stress. It also challenges dominant narratives and opens space for interdisciplinary approaches that integrate quantitative and qualitative perspectives. The article calls for a more nuanced research agenda that centers lived experience, long-term adaptation and the interplay between environmental and political pressures.

Department/s

  • Centre for Geographical Information Systems (GIS Centre)
  • Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (MGeo)
  • LU Profile Area: Human rights
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
  • MECW: The Middle East in the Contemporary World
  • Centre for Advanced Middle Eastern Studies (CMES)
  • Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science

Publishing year

2026

Language

English

Publication/Series

Cambridge Prisms: Drylands

Volume

3

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Topic

  • Physical Geography
  • Social and Economic Geography

Status

Published

Project

  • Societal impacts of climate stress: An integrated assessment of drought, vulnerability, and conflict in Syria

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 2976-5293