Conflict and the Illegal Wildlife Trade in Africa
Channel: War Studies KCL
Date: 26/04/2021

The connection between conflict and biodiversity has been one of the least explored areas of conflict studies; that has been changing over the last decade at the same time as reports into the dire decline of biodiversity. While biodiversity is both impacted by conflict and can be the cause of conflict (resource wars) the actual connection-points that create cause and effect are still being debated.

These talks by members of The Marjan Conflict, Biodiversity and Military Sustainability Study Group, will look at these connection-points by highlighting the illegal wildlife trade in Africa through political and social dynamics using case-studies based on first-hand field research. As much biodiversity heads either for massive population decline or extinction, understanding the complexities of the illegal wildlife trade is crucial.