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Reads the UCDP Georeferenced Event Dataset (GED)

Source: R/data_ucdp.R
read_ucdp_ged.Rd

Downloads and processes the Uppsala Conflict Data Program's Georeferenced Event Dataset (UCDP GED), which provides detailed information on individual events of organized violence worldwide. The function formats the data as a spatial object compatible with PRIO-GRID temporal analysis.

Usage

read_ucdp_ged()

Value

A sf object containing georeferenced conflict events with:

  • Geometry: Point locations of conflict events

  • date_start, date_end: Event timing information

  • date_interval: Lubridate interval for temporal operations

  • best, low, high: Fatality estimates (best estimate, low bound, high bound)

  • type_of_violence: Violence type classification (1, 2, or 3)

  • where_prec: Spatial precision code (1-7)

  • Coordinate reference system: WGS84 (EPSG:4326)

Details

UCDP GED is the most disaggregated dataset on organized violence, containing information on individual events including their location, timing, actors, and fatality estimates. This function:

  • Downloads UCDP GED version 25.1 if not already cached

  • Converts the data to an sf spatial object with WGS84 coordinates

  • Adds a date_interval utility column for temporal operations

  • Preserves all original UCDP GED variables including fatality estimates

The dataset includes three types of organized violence:

  • Type 1: State-based armed conflict

  • Type 2: Non-state conflict

  • Type 3: One-sided violence

References

Sundberg R, Melander E (2013). “Introducing the UCDP Georeferenced Event Dataset.” Journal of Peace Research, 50(4), 523–532. ISSN 0022-3433, 1460-3578, doi:10.1177/0022343313484347 , 2024-10-21.

Davies S, Pettersson T, Sollenberg M, Öberg M (2025). “Organized Violence 1989–2024, and the Challenges of Identifying Civilian Victims.” Journal of Peace Research, 62(4), 1223–1240. ISSN 0022-3433, doi:10.1177/00223433251345636 , 2025-06-11.

See also

ucdp_ged for rasterizing events to PRIO-GRID, ged_ucdp_ged for generating the standard UCDP GED variable

Examples

if (FALSE) { # \dontrun{
# Read UCDP GED data
ged_data <- read_ucdp_ged()

# Examine the structure
print(ged_data)

# Check available columns
names(ged_data)

# Filter to state-based conflict only
state_conflict <- ged_data[ged_data$type_of_violence == 1, ]

# Plot event locations
plot(sf::st_geometry(ged_data), pch = ".",
     main = "UCDP GED Event Locations")

# Filter to specific time period
library(lubridate)
events_2020 <- ged_data[year(ged_data$date_start) == 2020, ]
} # }