Land system resilience amidst the ravages of war: Insights from Tigray (Northern Ethiopia)

Abstract

The Tigray war in northern Ethiopia (2020–2022) had substantial environmental impacts due to fighting, blockade, and power outages. This study contrasts post-war observations at 56 sites with 26 years of legacy data on land degradation, a rare before-and-after analysis by the same research team, in Dogu’a Tembien, a district of Tigray that did not experience large influxes of internally displaced people. The qualitative repeat study used transect walks alongside group observations and discussions. Unlike the war and environmental catastrophe of the 1980s in Tigray, basic soil conservation interventions including stone bunds, check dams and forest conservation have served as buffers against the conflict's repercussions. However, notable geomorphic changes occurred in battlefield areas and downriver banks. Still, restoration efforts over the last 30 years have largely withstood degradation. Under challenging conditions, farmers have maintained most soil conservation systems. Many gullies remained stable, although some formed due to enhanced water channeling in the upper area. The conflict caused a decline in woody vegetation, but, away from the main roads, many forests remained in good condition. Farmer-led irrigation expanded, supported by good spring discharges, improved marketing conditions for local produce due to isolation, and the lack of off-farm work opportunities. We attribute this land system resilience not only to long-term conservation investments, but also to the co-production of resilience through social and ecological systems. The intrinsic properties of the land (clayey, stony soils, stress-adapted vegetation, and reduced hydrological connectivity) helped buffer degradation. Meanwhile, communal land ethics, informal institutions, and local stewardship practices persisted despite the collapse of state support, echoing long-standing tenure traditions. In some areas, however, these systems frayed, revealing the spatial and social contingency of resilience. Our findings contribute to land resilience theory by showing how ecological durability and socio-political agency interact to shape land outcomes under crisis.