Exposure to violent conflict and environmental conservation behaviors in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo

The vast majority of conflicts in Africa occur in biodiversity hotspots, threatening efforts to conserve protected natural environments and endangered species. This research contributes to the sparse literature on conflict exposure and environmental conservation behaviors by examining the factors that moderate this relationship. Analyzing data from a population-representative survey of households in a conflict-affected region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, we examine the effect of conflict exposure on two harmful behaviors: hunting and/or farming in a protected environmental area. We find that exposure to conflict-related abuses—measured a number of different ways—is strongly associated with an individual’s likelihood to engage in harmful environmental practices. We also found that individuals with lower resilience scores had higher odds of engaging in harmful environmental practices, and that owning land was associated with lower odds of hunting or farming in protected areas. These findings suggest that programs promoting pro-conservation livelihoods may help mitigate trends to exploit the natural environment in post-conflict situations.