How Do Natural Resources Influence Civil War?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The presence of resource wealth might turn

low-intensity conflicts

into high-intensity conflicts without influencing the total number of conflicts; this could produce a statistical correlation between resource dependence and the incidence of civil war by increasing the number of conflicts that cross the critical …

How does war affect natural resources?

Weapons and military materiel used during conflicts also leave environmental legacies. Land mines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war can restrict access to

agricultural land and pollute soils and water sources

with metals and toxic energetic materials.

Does natural resource wealth encourage civil war?

The existing literature identifies

natural resource wealth as a major determinant of civil war

. The dominant causal link is that resources provide finance and motive (the looting rebels model).

Why are resources important in war?

However, they have unsuccessfully addressed twenty-first-century threats such as rising inequality, intrastate conflict and global warming. Natural resources can serve as

an impetus for conflict or cooperation

, prolong a bloody conflict and play an essential role in the postconflict process.

Do natural resources cause civil war?

Since the mid-1990s there has been a growing body of research on the causes of civil wars. One of the most surprising and important findings is that

natural resources

– in particular, oil and gemstones – play a key role in triggering and prolonging these conflicts.

Why natural resources are a curse?

Natural resource revenues have also been linked to

slow economic growth rates

, inequality, and poverty. One culprit may be the so-called “Dutch disease,” whereby resource revenues raise a country’s exchange rate, hurting competitiveness in non-resource sectors.

Why are resource rich countries prone to conflict?

Natural resource exports such as oil, diamonds and copper provide opportunities to drive growth and human development. However, extraction of these commodities can also result in slow growth, poverty and conflict.

Grievances emanating from the deterioration in well-being

, in turn, become proximate causes of conflict.

What are the negative impacts of war?


Death, injury, sexual violence, malnutrition, illness, and disability

are some of the most threatening physical consequences of war, while post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety are some of the emotional effects.

What resources cause the most conflict?


Oil and Natural Gas

are the world’s most valuable traded resources and probably the most conflict-prone.

What are the most important conflict resources?

The four most commonly mined conflict minerals (known as 3TGs, from their initials) are

cassiterite (for tin)

, wolframite (for tungsten), coltan (for tantalum), and gold ore, which are extracted from the eastern Congo, and passed through a variety of intermediaries before being purchased.

Why do resources cause conflict?

In most cases, natural resources have more than one user. Without clear agreements and/or legal status, this opens doors for conflicts, which reflect the power relations between users.

leads to a situation where competition over resources increases

.

Which countries are fighting over natural resources?

Global Conflicts Are Increasingly Fuelled by the Desire for Oil and Natural Gas – and the Funds They Generate.

Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, South Sudan, Ukraine, the East and South China Seas

: wherever you look, the world is aflame with new or intensifying conflicts.

How many wars were fought over resources?

Between 1912 and 2010, countries fought

180 times

over territories that contained—or were believed to contain—oil or natural gas resources.

Which country is rich in resources?

Sr. No. Country Name TOTAL COST OF NATURAL RESOURCES 1

Russia

$75.7 trillions
2 United States $45 trillion 3 Saudi Arabia $34.4 trillions 4 Canada $33.2 trillion

Are natural resources a curse?

Countries with oil, mineral or other natural resource wealth,

on average, have failed to show better economic performance than those without

, often because of undesirable side effects. This is the phenomenon known as the Natural Resource Curse.

Which country has no natural resources?


VATICAN CITY

: Vatican City is the country with least natural resources. The country has almost no nature’s resources at all. The country is suffering from the complete lack of the coal reserves.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.