The Opium Market, Revenue Opportunities and Insurgency in Afghanistan’s Provinces

My research focuses on security incidents in Afghanistan, such as armed attacks and bombings, that have been rising since 2003. Given the links between anti-government elements in the country and its drug economy, NATO forces and the UN consider poppy cultivation an obstacle to the long-term security of the region. My project  examines the interaction between income and insurgency activities using monthly time-series data on opium prices; four alternative measures of relative income based on four occupational sources (wheat production, sheep-farming, non-farm activities, casual labour); and security incidents for 34 Afghan provinces over the period 2004-2009.