Competition over resources

In the environmentally constrained but more populous world that can be expected over the course of this century, there will be greater scarcity of three key resources: food, water and energy. Demand for all three resources is already beyond that which can be sustained at current levels. Once population growth and the effects of climate change are factored in, it is clear that greater competition for such resources should be expected, both within and between countries, potentially leading in extreme cases to conflict.

Water Conflict: Violence Erupts Along Ethiopia-Kenya Water-stressed Border

Circle of Blue | Circle of Blue | July 2011

Issue:Competition over resources

In a small village along the waters of Lake Turkana in northwestern Kenya, two fishermen were murdered last month as they were putting out their nets.

A cascade of retaliatory violence between the Kenyan Turkana and Ethiopian Daasanach (sometimes called Merille) has led to the deaths of at least four Ethiopians and 20 Kenyans ethnic groups, though some Kenyan government officials place the toll as high as 69, according to the Kenya-based Daily Nation. Though the fighting has been localized, it has put pressure on both nations to deal with strife between nomadic groups who are competing for diminishing resources.

Image source: Aocrone

Article source: Circle of Blue

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Posted on 1/07/11

A New Road for Preventative Action

East West Institute | East West Institute | June 2011

Issues:Climate change, Competition over resources, Global militarisation, Marginalisation

A gap continues to exist between the international community’s rhetoric about conflict prevention and its responsibility to protect people from severe human rights violations. The record of human misery caused by violent conflict is testimony to the chronic  lack of political will to respond collectively to newand emerging threats to peace. The ineffectiveness of many global efforts at preventive diplomacy is evidence that traditional diplomatic approaches,  including the use of force, simply may not work.

Article source: East West Institute

Image source: AfghanistanMatters

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Posted on 29/06/11

Paul Rogers on Development, Climate Change, Conflict and Migration

Action Aid | youtube | June 2011

Issues:Climate change, Competition over resources, Marginalisation

Paul Rogers, Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University, and Oxford Research Group's Global Security Consultant, talks to Action Aid about the issues that will dominate international security and world development over the coming decades.

Source: youtube

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Posted on 14/06/11

South Sudan: Enhancing Grassroots Peacebuilding

Hope Chichaya | Insight on Conflict | June 2011

Issues:Competition over resources, Marginalisation

South Sudan’s referendum has come and gone. What lies ahead post-independence in terms of peace, development and security is however still to be determined. The 15 years of war left over one million people dead and more than three million displaced. Negotiations led to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in 2005, which included provision for a referendum on independence for the Southerners.  The referendum was held in January, with overwhelming support for succession. But serious challenges face South Sudan as it prepares for independence on 9 July 2011.

Article source: Insight on Conflict

Image source: United Nations Photo

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Posted on 1/06/11

Petroleum and its Impact on Three Wars in Africa: Angola, Nigeria and Sudan

Adrian Gonzalez | Peace Studies Journal | May 2011

Issue:Competition over resources

This article focuses on the complex role that oil has played in many conflicts on the African continent. It begins by highlighting oil’s influential role within war at a wider international level and provides a brief theoretical base from which to explore oil’s role in the African continent. Then, the article provides evidence of petroleum’s impact on violent conflicts in three African countries, namely Angola, Sudan and Nigeria, in order to highlight oil’s multi-faceted role on war in Africa.

Article source: Peace Studies Journal

Image source: Maks Karochkin

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Posted on 27/05/11

Wikileaks reveals Arctic could be the new cold war

Greenpeace UK | Greenpeace UK | May 2011

Issues:Climate change, Competition over resources, Global militarisation

New Wikileaks releases today have shown the Arctic oil rush is not just a threat to the environment and our climate, but also to peace. The documents show how deadly serious the scramble for Arctic resources has become. And the terrible irony of it is that instead of seeing the melting of the Arctic ice cap as a spur to action on climate change, the leaders of the Arctic nations are instead investing in military hardware to fight for the oil beneath it. They’re preparing to fight to extract the very fossil fuels that caused the melting in the first place.

Article source: Greenpeace UK

Image source: U.S. Geological Survey

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Posted on 14/05/11