ABSTRACT
In conflict situations not everyone is a loser. The Hadejia Nguru Wetlands in northern Nigeria provide a fascinating insight into the complexity of issues surrounding access to, and use of, environmental resources such as land and water. Through the experiences of ordinary people living in and around the wetlands, we explore how political processes and decisions, often made far away from the wetlands themselves, have profound impacts on those living there. The role of national policies, processes of ‘agricultural modernization’, the dismantling of traditional institutions and political marginalization will be examined in the light of recent social, environmental and economic changes in the wetlands.
