Drivers of natural resource based political conflict pdf

For example, some governments have long relied on centralized management strategies based on centralized control by administrative units and technical. Conflict and natural resource management 7 natural resource policiesand interventions are often formulated without the active and sustained participation of communities and local resource users. This paper conceptualizes the drivers of natural resourcebased political conflict in the united states. Empires and kingdoms throughout history are known to have risen or fallen because of their victories or defeats in wars that were heavily laden with natural resource considerations. Unlocking the economic dimension of peacebuilding in africa sylvester bongani maphosa the causal relationship between natural resource endowment and the outbreak of violent conflict is complex. It examines the dominant themes, patterns and underlying logic of these conflicts. The assumptions that conflict arises from a lack of education and development need to be examined carefully, given the overarching, highlevel political drivers of conflict. Environment, conflict and peacebuilding noted in 2009 that as the global population continues to rise, and the demand for resources continues to grow, there is significant potential for conflicts over natural resources to intensify in the coming decades.

It can helpus realize ajust world that values and conserves nature. Natural resources can, and often do, provoke and sustain internal conflicts as different groups fight for control of the resources or use natural resources to finance their fighting. Why are some natural resourcebased political conflicts so controversial, acri and intractable. In africa the problem emerges and interacts with political, social, economic and ecological. The assumptions that conflict arises from a lack of education and development need to be examined carefully, given the overarching, highlevel political drivers of conflict in the region. Participants will acquire the skills to formulate and operationalize preventive measures in relation to nrm and conflict.

Liberia took out highinterest loans from the united states and europe in the 1870s, becoming economically dependent on. Box 1 key questions for a conflict profile what is the political, economic, and sociocultural context. Environmental issues and international relations, a new. Conflict, political accountability and aid, routledge. Even in the natural sciences, there is a consensus that competition over scarce natural resources is one of the key drivers of violent conflict within and across species bhattacharyya 2015. Drivers of natural resourcebased political conflict. In terms of natural resources1 pastoralism takes place in marginal areas where cultivation is not possible. Currently, the main theories explaining natural resources as drivers of. To have few resources at the disposal of a colossal number of people is to direct the emergence of poverty, just as ghandi of india put it. Natural resource conflictsare disagreements and disputes over access to, and control and use of, natural resources. Impact of wars and conflicts on africas socioeconomic developmentthe unending political tensions, wars and conflicts in the continent have had lasting negative impact on the socioeconomic development of africa because socioeconomic development cannot be sustained in an environment riddled with violence, instability and insecurity conteh.

University, and in environment and natural resources at the faculty of political science. Contrary to popularized images of resource conflicts in africa, oil did not lead to rival warlords establishing resource funded local monopolies in chadthe stories that link resources to conflict here center on gaining tight control of the state rather than on the creation of chaotic environments. Oct 02, 2020 myanmar is a nation in transition, seeking to break with a past marred by authoritarian rule, economic mismanagement, and multiple conflicts that persist today, driven by social exclusion and predatory natural resource extraction. Natural resource conflict management case studies digital library. Conflict analysis united states institute of peace. In africa the problem emerges and interacts with political, social, economic and. Indeed, all major peace agreements since 2005 include provisions on land and natural resources. Towards ending conflict and insecurity in the niger delta. Yet, to date, there has only been sporadic research on this topic, often focused on a specific country or region. To capture this diverse range of elements, environmental. Darfur lies on the edge of a desert in an area that suffers both from an overall paucity of resources and a high degree of variability in the.

All of the case studies also highlight the importance of the wider political and economic. The importance of resource distribution national and political trends are important, but they also interact with wellrecognized local conflicts that shape instability across south sudan. Sep 14, 2007 study guide will briefly describe those natural resources that are typically involved in violent conflicts, the role of natural resources as causes of conflict or escalation of conflict, and their role in managing conflict and bringing about peace. Devolution especially for community based natural resource governance 5. A comprehensive approach to congos conflict minerals. June 2014, using research to inform its conflict transformation search for common ground trends in conflict drivers, triggers and unifiers trend analysis. Theory, concepts, and management institutions 1 introduction a common feature of contemporary natural resource management issues is the underlying uncertainty regarding both cause what causal factors account for the problem. Natural resources conflict in the democratic republic of the. Governance and social dimensions explores the impacts that effectiveand ineffective. Natural resource based conflict among pastoralist communities. Liberias rich natural resources led to success in establishing international commerce from its coast.

Based on the guidance notes, the second outcome of the project is to deliver a series. Case studies from southern africa 7 preface background to the power relations study this report consists of a series of individual country papers prepared for a study on devolution, community empowerment and power relations in community based natural resource management cbnrm during 1999. Some of the obvious causes of resource based conflicts in africa, especially in west africa as identified by kaye whiteman may include chieftaincy disputes, land disputes, struggle over access to and distribution of resources such as gold, diamond and timber, political machinations. It outlines how, in these areas, the oecd can help the international community respond to the threat caused by terrorism and identifies potential further work by the oecd. Natural resources, conflict, and conflict resolution. Issues in poverty reduction and natural resource management. This thesis focuses on violent natural resource conflicts within states since.

This book is based on the research into natural resource nr conflict carried out between 1997 and 2000 in the dolakha district of central nepal, and in several reference sites around the country. Drivers of natural resourcebased political conflict springerlink. Both conflict management and a satisfactory solution are easier to attain when it is accepted that what we normally call conflict is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon. Drivers of natural resourcebased political conflict researchgate.

Empowering communities to manage natural resources. However, disputes over water, whether scarce or abundant, do not always result in violence. Competition over natural resources, including water, is often viewed as a driver of conflict and has emerged as a key component in many current and past conflicts. Governance includes government, business and civil society, and emphasizes whole system management. Political ecology and the moral dimensions of resource conflicts. For instance, studies have revealed that countries with high quality institutions dedicated to the management of valuable natural resources minimize potential problems faced by resource rich and conflict prone countries. A conflict profile provides a brief characterisation of the context within which the intervention will be situated. Pdf conflict management in natural resources a study of. Since 1990, oilproducing countries have been twice as likely to have a civil war compared with nonoilproducing countries. It is not caused by inadequate structures, nor is it undesirable. Indeed, an abundance of a resource base combined with. Knowledge of natural resources and resource governance is also essential.

Why are some natural resourcebased political conflicts so controversial, acrimonious and intractable. Drivers of natural resourcebased political conflict jstor. Abiodun alao undertakes this broad survey by categorizing natural resources into four groups. Disagreements also arise when these interests and needs are incom patible, or when the priorities of some user groups are not considered in policies, programmes and projects. Competition over increasingly scarce renewable resources 29. Where natural resources have been the main driver of social violence, they need to. Recent years have seen growing recognition of land and resource disputes as drivers of conflict and violence. This natural resource governance institute nrgi and united. Furthermore, political conflicts that turn violent often result in. May 24, 2019 the chapter first highlights the different resources of power in the middle east and north africa mena region, noting that mineral and economic wealth, demography and geographic location are three resources that helped shape the conflict. Why are some natural resource based political conflicts so controversial, acri and intractable. Mediating natural resource conflicts is a collaborative research project undertaken by the policy and mediation division of the united. Somalias history of conflict reveals an intriguing paradoxnamely, many of the factors that drive armed conflict have also played a role in managing, ending, or preventing war. Recent studies have found that natural resources and civil war are highly correlated.

Yet the causal mechanisms behind the correlation are not well understood, in part because data on civil wars is scarce and of poor quality. Renewable resources and conflict the united nations. Geography, resources and the geopolitics of middle east. Natural resources, conflict, and conflict resolution united states. The very nature and context of these cases sometimes promise intractability, but they are also often wicked by design in that political actors, institutions and policy processes often compound them. And what turns the common political conflict into the highlevel, symbolic, and sustained political conflict.

Conflict is an expected outcome of the interaction between actors who disagree with particular decisions castro and nielsen, 2001. The root cause of natural resource based conflict in kenya is resource scarcity. In this article i examine thirteen recent civil wars to explore the mechanisms behind the resource conflict correlation. It investigates how these resources were exploited during and after the mass protests that have swept the. Natural resources and conflict in africa is the first book to offer a detailed look at conflict over various natural resources in several african countries. This brochure looks at how corruption and the criminal exploitation of natural resources facilitate terrorism. Mar 03, 2010 adopting a human rights based response to those affected by natural disasters is a concrete way to ensure that natural disasters do not exacerbate existing or provoke new conflicts. Resource based conflicts and political instability in africa. Geography, resources and the geopolitics of middle east conflicts. Natural resources and the poor discusses the causes and drivers of poverty as they relate to natural resources, and examines the complex relationship between poor populations in developing countries and natural resources management. What is needed is a work of syntheses in order to highlight the main. For instance, clannism and clan cleavages are a source of conflict used to divide somalis, fuel endemic clashes over resources and power, used to mobilize militia.

These conflicts often emerge because people have dif ferent uses for resources such as forests, water, pastures and land, or want to manage them in different ways. Department of political affairs dpa, and the peacebuilding support office pbso. Empires and kingdoms throughout history are known to have risen or fallen because of their victories or defeats in wars that were heavily laden with natural resource considerations history is also replete with examples of friendships and alliances forged by empires and kingdoms to defend access to, and. Access to justice on natural resource issues, including to resolve natural resource conflicts. Resolving resource conflicts requires a wide range of skills. Conflict land and water food and agriculture organization.

In parallel, peace negotiations have increasingly addressed these issues directly. Thus, while resource scarcity is not solely responsible for conflict at the tribal level, it is a major driver, and must be seen in the context of wider political and economic marginalisation. Actually, the reading of the terms of reference led us to distinguish two issues that are of course nonindependent from one another but require nevertheless differentiated conceptual. Resource based conflicts and political instability in. Pastoralists communities result into conflict over use and ownership rights of these scarce resources. Why are some natural resource based political conflicts so controversial, acrimonious and intractable. Conflicts over communitybased repong resource management in pesisir. Natural resources conflict in the democratic republic of. During the 1860s, however, liberia began to face economic problems. These include an understanding of precedent, local history and the political economy, including the contested role of the state, and the ability to build trust, be creative and manage complex processes. The link between natural resources and conflict is probably as old as human settlement. Pdf conflict management in natural resources a study.