Natural Resources and Conflict
Full understanding of how natural resources relate to rebel forces in the developing world is crucial to U.S. national security policy, and a Department of Defense-funded project at University of Texas at Austin and UNC Charlotte is expected to provide greater insights into the impact of those resources.
Researchers will develop a global, geocoded dataset of natural resource locations relevant to armed conflict. The comprehensive dataset will include resources’ location and their market value over time. The project also will measure if and precisely how rebel groups exploit the resources. Exploitation can take many forms, such as controlling production, stealing and providing protection for producers, such as in cases of drugs.
The research team will analyze how control of resources contributes to state failure, internal conflict and third-party interventions. An online “dashboard” will identify natural resource locations and their key geographic and political characteristics. This open-source resource could help civilian and military planners and researchers prepare for potential conflicts.
Questions the researchers will consider include:
Researchers will develop a global, geocoded dataset of natural resource locations relevant to armed conflict. The comprehensive dataset will include resources’ location and their market value over time. The project also will measure if and precisely how rebel groups exploit the resources. Exploitation can take many forms, such as controlling production, stealing and providing protection for producers, such as in cases of drugs.
The research team will analyze how control of resources contributes to state failure, internal conflict and third-party interventions. An online “dashboard” will identify natural resource locations and their key geographic and political characteristics. This open-source resource could help civilian and military planners and researchers prepare for potential conflicts.
Questions the researchers will consider include:
- Do “lootable” resources increase the likelihood, severity and duration of ethnic rebellion?
- How does access to natural resources influence the type of violence employed by non-government entities or people?
- Does that access lead them to scale up from terrorist to insurgent violence?
- Do natural resources fuel third-party interventions into civil wars?
- How do natural resources influence state failure and political violence?
- How do the different ways that rebels can exploit resources influence their duration, use of violence and cohesion?
