Risk, Security and Coping Mechanisms
Work Package Leader:
Dr. Philip Verwimp – Fund for Scientific Research - University of Antwerp
| Projects |
|---|
| Project 14: Modelling conflict shocks |
| Project 15: Civil war and activity choice |
| Project 16: Land reform and violent conflicts |
| Project 17: Coping with conflict |
Overview
Even in the absence of conflict, households in poor economies face serious risks such as price shocks, rains shocks, illness shocks or assets shocks. A risky environment pushes people towards economic activities with secure but lower average returns and thus decreases wealth. Civil strife or conflict increases economic insecurity further. However, there is little understanding of how people respond to this increased insecurity.
This Work Package examines the extent to which violent conflicts will affect household and individual livelihoods and social networks; how households cope with conflict-related shocks; and whether coping mechanisms will restrain violence or breed new conflicts. The Work Package focuses on peasants living in poor, agrarian countries, such as Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Publications:
RWP39: Household Decision-making under Threat of Violence: A Micro Level Study in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh - Mohammad Badiuzzaman, John Cameron and Syed Mansoob Murshed
RWP42: Beyond Coping. Risk Management in the West Bank - Silvia Jarauta Bernal
Project 14: Modelling conflict shocks
Project leader:
Prof. Christophe Müller – Université de Cergy-Pontoise
This project will study the interactions of the different shocks suffered by Rwandan and Congolese households and distinguish between conflict-related and other shocks. Econometric models will be estimated at the household level to provide a better understanding of the interaction of the various economic, environmental, health and political shocks borne by Rwandan and Congolese households; of the consequences for living standards and poverty; and of the coping strategies adopted by these households.
Publications:
RWP47: Incentives and Survival in Violent Conflicts - Moshik Lavie and Christophe Muller
Project 15: Civil war and activity choice
Project leader:
Dr. Philip Verwimp – Fund for Scientific Research - University of Antwerp
Project researcher:
Tom Bundervoet – Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Events:
International Conference on the Evolution of Poverty and Well-Being in Burundi 1998-2007
Publications:
RWP5: Health and Civil War in Rural Burundi - Tom Bundervoet, Philip Verwimp and Richard Akresh
RWP9: Consumption Growth, Household Splits and Civil War - Philip Verwimp and Tom Bundervoet
RWP11: Grievance, Commodity Prices and Rainfall: A Village-level Analysis of Rebel Recruitment in Burundi - Eleonora Nillesen and Philip Verwimp (updated April 2010)
RWP21: Does Conflict affect Preferences? Results from Field Experiments in Burundi - Maarten Voors, Eleonora Nillesen, Philip Verwimp, Erwin Bulte, Robert Lensink, and Daan van Soest
RWP25: A Phoenix in Flames? Portfolio Choice and Violence in Civil War in Rural Burundi - Eleonora Nillesen and Philip Verwimp
PB6: The Impact of Violent Conflict on Child Health: What Are the Channels? - Philip Verwimp, Tom Bundervoet and Richard Akresh
This project will test important hypotheses about the relationship between violent conflicts and choices of economic activities of affected households., using data from the 1998 Priority Survey in Burundi. This is being supplemented by an additional national household survey undertaken in Burundi by MICROCON and partners in 2007. This survey followed a smaller panel of households that were also interviewed in the 1998 Priority Survey, which will provide valuable information on the dynamics of coping strategies in the aftermath of violent conflict.
Project 16: Land reform and violent conflicts
Project leader:
Dr. Rachel Sabates-Wheeler – Institute of Development Studies
Project researchers:
Dr. Philip Verwimp –Fund for Scientific Research - University of Antwerp
Eleonora Nillesen - German Institute for Economic Research
Two kinds of work will be developed in this project. First, the Burundi 1998-2007 data from project 15 will be used to analyse the link between migration patterns, food insecurity and land tenure of Burundian farmers. Second, Economic games (voluntary contribution games and trust games) will be implemented in Burundi to measure levels of confidence, trust and willigness to contribute to the collective good. The field work takes place in March–April 2009 and will be executed by Philip Verwimp and Eleonora Nillesen in cooperation with researchers from Wageningen University.
Project 17: Coping with conflict
Project leader:
Prof. Tilman Brück – German Institute for Economic Research
Project researchers:
Dr. Conchita D’Ambrosio and Carlos Bozzoli – German Institute for Economic Research
Publications:
RWP24: Child Morbidity and Camp Decongestion in Post-war Uganda - Carlos Bozzoli and Tilman Brück
RWP40: Conflict Experiences and Household Expectations on Recovery: Survey evidence from Northern Uganda - Carlos Bozzoli, Tilman Brück, and Tony Muhumuza
RWP43: Self-Employment and Conflict in Colombia - Carlos Bozzoli, Tilman Brück and Nina Wald
RWP53: Activity Choices of Internally Displaced Persons and Returnees: Quantitative Survey Evidence from Post-War Northern Uganda - Carlos Bozzoli,
Tilman Brück and
Tony Muhumuza
The main focus of the analysis in this project will be on mapping the variety of coping strategies that various forms of households adopt under different forms of mass violence. The methodology to be adopted for this project will be the empirical analysis of household survey data from a variety of conflict zones and a variety of groups (such as refugees, migrants, women and girls, and the sick and infirm). Some important insights are expected from the analysis of multiple household surveys with a comparable methodological framework. The preliminary pool of case studies includes Rwanda, Burundi and Mozambique, and the project will also draw on further data made available in the ‘Data and Measurement’ Work Package.
Countries studied in this Work Package
Funded by EC under FP6
