Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/339178 
Year of Publication: 
2026
Series/Report no.: 
Working Paper No. 01.2026
Publisher: 
Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM), Milano
Abstract: 
We estimate the impact of infrastructure investment on conflict using 163 hydroelectric dams in Brazil (2002-2022). Leveraging the staggered rollout of construction in a difference-in-differences framework, we find that dams trigger sharp, temporary surges in land invasions, water disputes, and homicides. These effects peak during construction and dissipate upon operation, suggesting they stem from the displacement process rather than the public good itself. Crucially, conflict is mediated by local institutions: violence occurs only where property rights are weak and displacement affects vulnerable smallholders. Our results demonstrate that without effective compensation, state-led modernization generates destabilizing redistributive shocks.
Subjects: 
Infrastructure
Institutional Friction
Property Rights
Conflict
JEL: 
D61
D74
H41
O13
O22
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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