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.

Canada’s Arctic Policy: Prospects for Cooperation in a Warming World

Brian Karmazi | Central European Journal of International & Security Studies | April 2011

Issues:Climate change, Competition over resources

In 1985, Oran Young anticipated that the international community was ‘entering the age of the Arctic ... in which those concerned with international peace and security will urgently need to know much more about the region and in which policy makers in the Arctic rim states will become increasingly concerned.’ Young’s insights were extremely acute and much international attention is being directed to the geographic ‘North,’ where much resource wealth lies under a rapidly thinning layer of ice.

Image source: Vishnu V

Article source: CEJISS

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Posted on 19/04/11

Sudan all about Natural Resources Conflicts

Debay Tadesse | The African - Blog | March 2011

Issue:Competition over resources

Debay Tadesse from the Institute of Security Studies, Addis Ababa, looks at the future for Sudan, and the importance of sharing natural resources in the region.

"Another important contestation is the sharing of oil revenue. The conflict between the ethnic groups, government and militias was fuelled by the significant oil reserves developed by foreign companies.  This exacerbated the conflict because the huge potential profits increased the incentives for control of the land, resulting in all kinds of human rights violations.  The South is rich with almost 60% of the oil wells but the pipes run through the North. The South fully depends on the North to sell oil. Experts in this field argues that that for the next five years Southern Sudan will have to rent the Northern oil pipeline, refineries and facilities at Port Sudan to sell its oil. If not handled diplomatically this could trigger a wave of unrest, raids and attacks on the South."

Article source: TheAfrican.org blog

Image source: expo_2020

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Posted on 31/03/11

The US Navy in a Warming Arctic

U.S. Naval Forces Naval Studies Board | National Academies Press | March 2011

Issues:Climate change, Competition over resources

 A new report by the U.S. Naval Forces Naval Studies Board about the implications of climate change for the US Navy argues that the US should ratify the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). According to the report this will assist in addressing new issues around conflict and cooperation in the Arctic region arising from a changing climate. 

Image source: U.S. Coast Guard

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Posted on 22/03/11

In Asia, an Opportunity to Strengthen Long-term Relationships though Natural Resource Cooperation

Will Rogers | Center for a New American Security | March 2011

Issue:Competition over resources

Writing for the CNAS Natural Security blog, Will Rogers analyses the opportunites for moving from competition to cooperation over resources, particularly between the US and China. 

Image source: Pacific Command. 

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Posted on 9/03/11

China’s drought and global food prices

Issues:Competition over resources, Marginalisation

What a rollercoaster ride the story of global food prices has been this year – and we’re only a month in.

Back in January, when news emerged that food prices had reached a new record high, many analysts were relatively sanguine about the rise. As I noted in a Global Dashboard post on 6 January, the new price spike was largely driven by meat, sugar and vegetable oils, rather than, as in 2008, staples like wheat or rice.

Governments weren’t sliding into panic measures – unlike in 2008, when over 30 of them imposed export bans, forcing prices still higher. And while the 2008 spike was marked by protests in 61 countries (with violent unrest in 23 of them), that didn’t seem to be happening this time around.

How things can change in a month. No sooner had I published that post than Algeria erupted in rioting over high food prices – and while food prices weren’t the cause of recent events seen in Tunisia, Yemen and Egypt, they have certainly formed part of the backdrop.

Read the full article at China Dialogue

Image source: vivianepereiras

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Posted on 11/02/11

Diplomatic shifts in the warming Arctic

Issue:Competition over resources

The summer of 2010 saw the third-lowest amount and extent of Arctic sea ice ever recorded. For the third year in a row both the Northwest Passage between Greenland and Alaska and the Northern Sea Route between Norway and Kamchatka were ice-free – something that had not happened before 2008 in recorded history. As the physical state of the High North is changing, so too is the diplomatic environment. 

Article source: IISS

Image source: IISS

 

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Posted on 20/01/11