Armed Conflict Impacts on Forest Ecosystems

Armed conflicts influence forest ecosystems through a complex interplay of direct and indirect processes. During active hostilities, restricted access and persistent insecurity often limit commercial logging, road construction and agricultural expansion, resulting in a temporary deceleration of deforestation. In contrast, the cessation of conflict or shifts in control can trigger rapid land-use change, as former combatants, land speculators and rural communities vie for contested territories. Such transitions may lead to surges in illegal logging, land-grabbing and illicit crop cultivation, undermining both biodiversity and carbon storage. Beyond changes in canopy cover, conflicts can fragment landscapes, disrupt traditional management regimes and erode local governance structures, impeding long-term conservation and restoration. The global significance of these dynamics is underscored by cases in Latin America, West Africa and Southeast Asia, where post-conflict deforestation has accelerated habitat loss in some of Earth’s most biodiverse regions. Understanding these processes is essential for designing resilient conservation policies that remain effective under shifting political and security conditions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have illuminated the links between organised crime, conflict dynamics and forest change. One investigation of Central American bird landscapes demonstrates how counter-narco trafficking operations may inadvertently intensify deforestation by displacing criminal networks into new forested areas, threatening migratory bird populations. Another systematic analysis of protected areas in a post-peace agreement context reveals that deforestation rates can double in core and buffer zones once armed groups withdraw, emphasising the role of non-state actors in enforcing on-the-ground conservation. These findings collectively highlight that forest protection during conflict often arises as an unintended consequence of insecurity and that peace processes must integrate rapid-response mechanisms to prevent a release of pent-up deforestation pressure.

Armed Conflict Impacts on Forest Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in armed conflict impacts on forest ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Buffer zone: The peripheral area surrounding a protected forest that moderates external pressures and maintains ecological connectivity.

Gunpoint conservation: De facto forest protection enforced by armed groups through threats of violence, often halting commercial exploitation.

Landscape fragmentation: The subdivision of continuous habitat into smaller, isolated patches, reducing biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

Illicit cropping: Cultivation of prohibited plant species, such as coca, which can drive deforestation when linked to criminal networks.

Narco trafficking: Illegal trade in narcotics whose logistics, cultivation and enforcement activities can result in direct and spill-over impacts on forest cover.

References

1. Intersection of narco trafficking, enforcement and bird conservation in the Americas. Nature Sustainability (2024).
2. Deforestation in Colombian protected areas increased during post-conflict periods. Scientific Reports (2020).
3. The end of gunpoint conservation: forest disturbance after the Colombian peace agreement. Environmental Research Letters (2020).
4. Impacts on the Urban Environment: Land Cover Change Trajectories and Landscape Fragmentation in Post-War Western Area, Sierra Leone. Remote Sensing (2018).