RESOURCE SCARCITY AS A TRIGGER FOR INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES: PREDICTIONS AND PREVENTIONS

RESOURCE SCARCITY AS A TRIGGER FOR INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES:

PREDICTIONS AND PREVENTIONS

Introduction

Rising population and consumption levels all over the world

Accessibility of resources and political stability go side by side for the reason that a lack

of resources like water, food, energy, minerals can lead to conflict for usage rights among

countries. For instance, water scarcity in areas such as the Middle East where there are large

rivers like Tigris and Euphrates that go through various countries has made geopolitics unstable

throughout history during water shortages. Upstream use and harnessing of water hampers the

water supply to downstream country and this lead to conflict. In the same way, oil and natural

gas resources from different nations are limited only to a few countries making those states the

supplier states and any interruption due to war or anything else affects the world‟s interconnected

energy system. As much as possible, even something as seemingly natural as crop failures that

should result to grain shortages may compel countries to negotiate aggressively over access to

markets, apply sanctions, or engage in bluffing because of concerns of scarcity of cheap grain.

Sanctions, trade restrictions, and resource nationalizations carried out during scarcity periods by

states or against them are also likely to pose adverse impacts on geopolitical relations. Therefore,

the imbalance in the distribution of some of the most important resources in the natural

environment across the globe indicates that fighting for access is a zero sum for many countries

that cannot meet current demand internally. This inevitably aggravates existing geopolitical

cleavages at a time when global resources demands or scarcity is high.

The availability of resources and geopolitical stability are interrelated

Geopolitical stability is therefore highly linked with resource availability, where resource

shortage or abundance dictates the geopolitics while the latter influences the availability and

accessibility of the resource. For countries with natural resources like oil and gas, it is easy for

these to be used as political tools and there is little domestic upheavals, but on the other and,

known as the „resource curse‟, if the money is not well managed, it can lead to corruption and

authoritarianism. In the same sense resource scarce countries may seek control of resources in

other countries hence creating conflict and insecurity. Moreover, competition for necessities such

as water and arable land, which is already a pressing issue in the world, due to the rise in

population and severity of climate change will also become a higher priority in the world

politics. The Middle East is a typical example of geopolitics where struggle for oil and its prices

determine the interaction and collaboration between Saudi Arabia and Iran in the course of the

last few decades with occasional intervals of integration. In the future effort to get rid of fossil

fuels for energy to reduce climate change, there are similar significant shifts in geopolitical

power based on which countries have which energy resources. Therefore, the distribution of

natural resources and their scarcity create dependencies of states in the international system and

at the same time contest for the same resources is a source of conflict and instability; this

illustrates the correlation between resources and the geopolitical structures.

Proactive resource management in conflict prevention

Negotiation can be a crucial action to be taken in the conflict prevention process, and

with proper resource management conflicts can be avoided. With the help of such a forecast,

potential sources of conflict over the availability and distribution of scarce resources such as

water, food, accommodation, health care and education can be defined and solutions found.

Governments and international organizations should check periodically whether resources are

sufficient and accessible, looking for signs such as drought, crop failure, increased inequality,

discrimination in the distribution of resources or the propensity of causes of discontent between

groups of people to increase due to rapid price growth or scarcity. Groups can then prevent such

incidences by altering the policies that govern their actions together with investing in policies

that will ensure that the resources are stabilized and made equally available to all instead of

waiting for groups to engage in violence in order to get the basic resources they need. They also

note that mechanisms for non-violent resolution of resource related conflict that are emerging at

local and regional levels should also be enhanced in order to address tensions that arise between

communities in a constructive manner before the conflict becomes out of hand. Some of the key

specific actions include being proactive on resources which enables the reduction of the

motivation of groups towards destructive conflict hence encouraging cooperation during strained

relations. But to have effective preventive resource management one has to consult research

based foresight, track the resources on the ground and constantly anticipate problems, as well as

ensure that there are open channels of communication between the governing bodies and the

people of the given country so as to prepare adequate human and financial capital to tackle the

situation before it becomes critical. Proper deployment of resources in respect of such policies

could therefore foster more stable, harmonious societies.

Resource-based conflict hotspots

Arctic region’s reserves yet to be exploited leading to territorial disputes

Climate change results in melting sea ice in Arctic region which has made some oil and

gas resources discovered as inaccessible due to ice as now accessible thus aggravating

sovereignty issues among the Arctic states willing to exploit resources in this region. Some

calculations determine that the area of the seabed of the Arctic Ocean contains approximately 90

billion barrels of oil and 30% of the total volumes of raw undiscovered reserves of natural gas

estimated to be worth more than $ 30 trillion; and while approximately 13% of the remaining

volumes of oil are located in the Arctic Circle, which contains 30% of the explored and

unexplored volumes of natural gas. These reserves have been largely off-limits because it has

been surrounded by thick and permanent sea ice, severely adverse climate, and high costs of

operating in such a rugged and remote area, but as the Arctic sea ice melts each summer and

moves far to the north, the potential for resource exploitation grows rapidly. Nations, including

Russia, Canada, the USA, Norway, and Denmark through Greenland, are keen to assert

sovereignty over the territory and sea lanes in the Arctic Circle in order to gain exclusive rights

to exploit the resources of the areas deemed to be within their jurisdiction. Uncertainty regarding

claims has however, escalated tensions between the Arctic states when compared to the early

days of the Arctic initiative due to the increasing Arctic oil and gas resource base and the fact

that the resource is now more accessible than ever before. Non-violent conflict management and

global cooperation in the sharing of resources might minimize tensions, however, the promise of

virtually immeasurable oil, gas and minerals located in the newly opened up Arctic seabed will

keep the spirit of nationalist imperialism and competition burning for many more years as

countries scramble to get a piece of the cake.

Transboundary river systems that lead to water conflicts downstream

International rivers are sources of water and conflicts as the countries where the river

sources are located feel insecure about the water sources needed for their survival. The upstream

country that holds sovereignty over the sources of water can use most or all of the water, through

activities such as damming and irrigation, while ignoring the downstream country, which

depends on a constant, steady flow of water for domestic, industrial and agricultural needs. The

problem is further compounded when the water stocks are low resulting in the so called drought

years. For instance, the Nile River is a major river in Africa that starts at the sources in Lake

Victoria to Mediterranean Sea, with Egypt being the downstream country that relies on the water

from the Nile River as its source of freshwater by 97% it is used to support the agriculture in the

Nile neck region and the population in the country. However, other actions such as the

construction of a dam across the Blue Nile tributary for hydroelectric power and irrigation in the

highlands of Ethiopia has reduced water availability to Egypt, something which has been

perceived as a threat, increase tensions and disagreements between the two nations. Likewise, the

Indus River is from Chinese territory, and it passes through India and Pakistan; hence, it leads to

many political conflicts since Pakistan relies heavily on the river for water use while India

intends to build dams on it due to its need for irrigation water as well as for energy. Absence of

proper agreements, failure to involve all the countries that share the river waters and the lack of

trust are some of the major factors that lead to these tensions. A possible remedy are legal and

involves riparian states entering into legal agreements for water sharing involving quotas of a

proportionate use, involving all relevant parties, establishing sound organizations of river basins

and joint technical commissions for basin-wide management. Also, putting into practice drought

and flood management strategies along with utilizing water storage strategies for purposes that

range from agricultural to domestic, makes it possible to share water rationally at certain lean

periods thus minimizing chances of conflict erupting because of perceived unfair distribution of

water.

Disputed sea areas that are believed to contain large untapped resources and its impact on

international security

The South China Sea; a portion of the Pacific Ocean that is claimed by China, Taiwan,

the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Vietnam, has recently become tense with

international conflicts over sovereignty and controlling rights to the Sea that contains about 11

billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas most of which are yet to be

exploited, and fisheries, half of the global fishing fleet targets on its waters, though this has The

conflict arises as a result of differences in the territorial and economic exclusive zone claims by

regional countries of features such as islands, reefs, banks and shoals, with reference to historical

mode of utilization and also the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which

accords certain special rights to the coastal state over the exploration and exploitation of marine

resources within up to 200 nautical miles from the coast. China has been the leading state in the

assertiveness, unilaterally drawing a “nine-dashed line” that includes approximately 90% of the

South China Sea as its territorial waters, encroaching upon the claims of other nations and well

beyond the normal limits of the EEZs. In terms of military it has embarked on large scale

construction of islands to enhance its military power, built ports, airstrips, radar bases, missile

shelters and other facilities on coral atolls and small islands, declared Air Defense Identification

Zone over the sea and declared routine military exercises in the region. The U.S. sees China‟s

activities as a threat to free flow of commerce through a vital sea-line for global trade which

transports over $3 trillion worth of goods through ships annually and in also a potential rival

power in the region. Such tensions and over-militarization may push the U.S. and China into an

acute conflict and affect stability and security cooperation in the region. To find out the peaceful

solutions for the challenges it is necessary to address the factors such as, The sovereign rights

under international maritime laws; The national interests of the countries; The deteriorating

health condition of the sea and its marine life.

Economic factors that have worsened the resource related conflicts

Fluctuations in the prices of the commodities that cause shifts in the markets and effects on

security

There are implications of market stability and security as shown by oscillations of prices

in commodities. Fluctuations in PWCs are caused in many occasions by the same changes in

supply and demand of the key commodity prices. For instance, a fall in oil prices may be

attributed to a reduction in growth and demand while a hike on the prices may depict an increase

in conflicts or shortage in supply. These fluctuations in commodities are contagious since they

affect producers, consumers, and traders in the market. When prices of the produced goods are

low, producers Curtail production and investment, while at high prices, they increase production

and investment. There may be situations when, for instance, consumers may reduce their

spending on non-essential items after the costs of basic necessities increase because of high

commodity prices. Fluctuations of agricultural prices affect food security and farmers‟ revenues

in the developing countries exporting crops, and energy and metal price volatilities affect export

revenues in commodity-dependent emerging market economies. High fluctuations affect the

stability of the economy with uncertainty within the private sector and the prevalence of

speculative behavior where investors sought commodities as an asset class during high price

movements. Hence, commodity markets have the potential to destabilize other financial markets.

Banks worldwide respond to increase in consumer prices through commodity price increase

through a tool known as inflation rate whereby the central banks will increase the interest rates.

At the same time, export revenues, incomes and government budgets could experience sharp

declines in countries relying on oil, metals, crops or other commodities, thus threatening growth

and stability, when these products plummet. Hence the management of volatile commodity

prices continues to be a classic overt archetypal economic policy puzzle. Measures such as

acquiring large inventions of basic goods, diversifying sources of energy, increasing the access

to information, increasing the ability of developing nations to rebound from adverse shocks, and

guessing at potential future price movements can help minimize the adverse feedback effects

when there is a sharp move in commodity markets. In aggregate, supply-demand based

commodity size is related to performance whereas excessive volatility is detrimental to security

and stability of markets.

Resource nationalism affecting global supply chains and its impact on international security

Resource nationalism, where countries take a more active role and ownership of their

natural resources, has been gaining momentum across the world in the last few years as

governments strive to capture more value from their resources at home; this has led to disruption

of global value chains of minerals that are critical for the production of advanced and green

technologies. For example, the key metals like lithium and rare earth used in batteries as well as

in renewable energy sources have been impacted by limited supply as some of the main producer

countries like Chile and China have tried to impose restrictions through tariffs and quotas. They

enable these countries with abundant resources of oil and natural gas establish more capacities

for refining and manufacturing for their domestic use but makes availability in the overseas

market limited for importing countries. The US and the EU, which rely on China for over 80% of

their rare earth needs, have listed such metals as critical to their economic and national security.

The interference of such crucial inputs will heavily impact industries like defense, aerospace, and

telecommunications that heavily rely on a continuous and uninterrupted supply. Minnesota

Mining and Manufacturing Co. reduced imports of rare earth from China in 2010 due to a

territorial conflict with Japan which showed vulnerability and made major importing countries

look for other sources notwithstanding china controls 95% of the production. The supply chain

risks also encourage unsustainable mining in areas with poor regulation on the sustainable use of

the resources. Resource nationalism has thus risen to scale up mineral access as an increasing

geostrategic issue and a cause of rivalry amongst the major powers. The US has had discussions

with Australia which is one of the world‟s largest L&RE suppliers to develop supply-chain

dependency different from that of China and diversity due to threat of supply disruption given as

potential economic or political sanction. In the future, the threats and opportunities for supply

chain management of economically strategic resources that are fundamental to emerging systems

and technologies will remain on the agenda of international security collaboration and rivalry.

One way of reducing such disruption is encouraging diversified, sustainable production and the

need to not be overly sensitive to potential external adverse shocks to supply, but given the fact

that the top mineral producing countries remain dominated by state influence; this will continue

to drive strategic planning regarding supply chain vulnerability.

Economic sanctions as instruments of power in resource dependency struggles its impact on

international security

Sanctions are now used as a forceful measure for aggression and even a resource in fights

over international territories between countries, but their contribution to the global safety is

relative and ambiguous. The use of trade, financial or other economic sanctions implying that

one nation or a group of countries seeks the change of certain policies or actions of the target

country only leads to its resentment with conflict instead of compliance. But sanctions are still

used as measures less severe than the use of force with the ultimate goal of using the sanctions‟

pressure of uneven economic relations against their counterparts in states that rely heavily on

natural resources. For instance, when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula some years ago, the

West responded through sanctions that sought to restrict its banking, energy, and defense

industries, in an attempt to compel it to reverse its decision, but these measures were not very

effective in directly changing Russias‟ behavior while they only helped to corroborate its

narrative of the West as an aggressor, and encouraged Russia to intensify its cooperation with

China and Iran. However, the broader analysis of sanctions questions theories that claim

sanctions are ineffective ninety-nine percent of the time or actually exacerbate the insecurity that

they are supposed to address, as they succeed in up to 30 percent of cases in fulfilling the foreign

policy objectives, if well-coordinated and precise. But all are fraught with possible side effects

that can trigger a boomerang effect. Economic sanctions can be explained as the power that

sanctions the targeted state, making it challenging or impossible for the state to acquire necessary

revenues in order to maintain important economic sectors, facilities, and ruling elites. However,

broad based sanctions are less effective in targeting governments and civilian populace than

military forces, and harm human development and rights which foster escalated instability.

Targeted nations can respond over time by finding other markets for their goods and services,

substituting banned product and service providers, supporting failing regimes with smuggling,

evasion, and shifting burdens inwards. Consequently, economic sanctions will continue to serve

the purpose of being a non-violent instrument of statecraft, however, mixed outcomes that they

provide coupled with the potential to harm principles of trade liberalization or make the targeted

state more confrontational. Both of these effects also have ethical concerns of using economic

access as a tool of pressure on the individuals.

Environmental factors that are increasing the scarcity of resources and insecurity

Effects of desertification on the cultivable land and food production and how it causes

international security issues

Desertification, which is the process of land degradation in the arid, semi-arid and dry

sub-humid areas, is one of the biggest threats to food production and security as it turns the

previous fertile ground to infertile and non-arable land diminishing crop and livestock

productivity; the situation is more alarming in the Sahel region of Africa where desertification

has been rapid in the last fifty years, the United Nations has estimated that It gets worse as below

as the spread of the desert widens, the encroachment on the grasslands and savannas that are

home to the pastoralism and farming communities that are pushed to the fringes and have to fight

for the limited productive land and water sources due to growing population the land gets eroded

stripping it of valuable nutrients diminishing crop output and food supply causing people to

move to cities as rural live hood collapses and due to lack Furthermore, desertification affects

global food commodity markets because decreases in agricultural yields increase food prices and

food price volatility; as the recent droughts in key grains producing areas of Russia and

Argentina reveal, periods of low yields inevitably lead to high prices for grains and hence

increased import costs for many countries that rely on these grains, besides triggering export

restrictions aimed at protecting domestic supplies, policies which may discourage production in

other regions and lead to increased hunger and malnutrition. Finally policy interventions through

National Action Programs targeting sustainable land and water management including soil

conservation and management of forests and early warning system could help reduce the

incidence of desertification but the phenomenon is also linked with climate change hence, the

need for multilateral approaches in building resilience for stability of the affected agrarian

societies.

Ocean acidification posing a risk to the sustainability of the marine resources and international

insecurity

Ocean acidification, a change resulting from elevated levels of carbon dioxide that makes

the water more acidic, presents major challenges to the sustainability of oceanic stock and

therefore International security since it jeopardizes the well-being of the marine environment.

Higher acidity makes it difficult for organisms like corals, shellfish, and some species of

plankton that produce shells or skeletons that are made of calcium carbonate to build and

maintain such structures and hence can easily be threatened by predators, diseases or extreme

conditions such as storms or heat waves. These often overlooked keystone species that feed on

our seafood, live in coastal areas, and offer coastal protection, tourism, and more, begin to

unravel complex food chains and ecosystems. Dwindling levels of coral reefs and shellfish that

makes a number of communities rely on fishing for their staple meals and to earn a livelihood

endangers food and income security of many global coastal societies. Further, ocean acidification

deprives fish, a source of protein for over 3 billion people, of habitats worldwide. The social and

economic impact of the effects of acidification on small scale fisher‟s populations can be loss of

income, displacement and forced migration can thus become agents of social and political unrest

within nations and across continents with a population of about 56 million people involved in

such fisheries. Moreover, the process of Arctic permafrost thawing and carbon deposits in oceans

increase acidification, water warming, in addition to affecting the global climate, also poses

threat to newly opening high latitude fishery resources that countries have started claiming to and

preparing to fish for. The inability to cooperatively and equitably manage these newly

developing yet already fragile fisheries as acidification and climate change alter the Arctic

marine environment could potentially give rise to new international controversies and conflict.

Hence, ocean acidification poses a risk to the imperativeness of current marine resources

essential for human consumption, income, and identity, and the resilience and cooperation

needed to effectively manage shift equitably of resources from the global to local level.

Natural calamities affecting the production of resources and its relation to international

insecurity

Disasters in the form of floods, droughts, hurricanes and earthquakes may cause

significant disruption and damage to crops, water resources and energy sources which are basic

essentials in the support of security and stability within and between nations. It reaches a point

where drought will occur for an extended period, and this will lead to crop failure that results in

low production of food and famine. Such was the experience in the long-drawn Syrian drought

between 2006 and 2011 with the result that agriculture was ruined and farmers migrated to the

cities which led to economic decline, instability and subsequently war. Likewise, floods result in

crop failure and hunger, which leads to food shortage, increased food prices, starvation and

desperation brings out cases of rampant anarchy, people fighting over scarce resources. The

natural disasters also break the supply chain and delivery systems involving food, water, and

energy that lead to shortages. Lack of sufficient basic necessity requirements arising from

calamities may force some people to seek other means of survival through migration which puts

pressure on resources and economies of the receiving end. This migration can also increase

ethnic tension and nationalism and is therefore dangerous. When fundamental resources

experience shortages in the global market due to a decrease in production because of calamities,

countries may aggressively compete for the commodity access rights, which will then increase

geopolitical tensions in history over rights to water body, fishing zones, minerals, and oil. Losing

sparing from calamities often leads to developing countries being unable to afford imports as

export earnings and budgets shrink due to the effects of disasters on industries such as

agriculture and tourism. This economic down spiral and other difficulties such as famine and

absence of fundamental amenities within communities can create political unrest within

countries as frustrations grow among suffering populace over poor management of disasters by

governments or lack of preparedness for disasters which is security threatening. Natural disasters

clearly illustrate the relationship between global climate and resource endowment and socio-

political stability and security in countries and the world at large.

Development of technology in the prevention of resource conflict

Satellite monitoring to improve the monitoring of resources averts insecurity

Satellite monitoring technology makes it possible for government and organizations to

monitor resources, and events happening on Earth through High Resolution Imagery and Data

Collection which can help the authorities respond swiftly to occurrences such as natural

disasters, conflicts, or resource management issues; and due to issues of climate change,

population growth, environment degradation, and regional insecurity that have emerged in the

recent past, earth observation from space-based platforms is critical and vital for decision-

making. Technological advancements in satellite monitoring systems for instance synthetic-

aperture radar, high revisit frequencies provide governments with a real-time view of what is

happening across a landscape like documenting the speed at which deforestation is taking place

in rainforest areas that have been protected to enable environmental agencies to understand the

human activities taking place which lead to destruction of exercise such as working with the

local community to practice sustainable farming methods rather than using methods that involve

burning of vegetation. Optical and infrared satellite seniorities also provide high-resolution

vegetation maps showing which crop and livestock are affected by drought and which grazing

land is vulnerable to desertification through overuse so that food security agencies can offer

assistance and encourage different types of employment.

Blockchain applications in transparent resource management to reduce resource conflicts

Natural resources are particularly well suited for solution by blockchain technology since

it has been shown that most conflict over natural resources is due to corruption and lack of

transparency in management, it therefore holds great potential in resolving conflicts regarding

natural resources such as land, water, minerals and forests. A cadaster through blockchain could

safely document separately ownership of the land and property rights on it; that would prevent

frauds and unauthorized evictions besides providing access to finance. Ownership terms and

conditions implemented in smart contracts could also enable the automatic calculations of rental

and lease payments or of distributing profits with direct transactions between the lessor and

lessee free from intermediary deception. The same could be said for remote sensor data where

real-time data on resource consumption such as water extraction or mineral mining is uploaded

in an immutable ledger so as to prevent overexploitation of the resource and ensure that the

extraction conforms to the legal permissions granted as well as the set quotas. Supply chains that

are based on blockchain technology might also guarantee the ethically and sustainably sourcing

of commodities such as timber and minerals. In general, when data is recorded and shared on a

blockchain ledger, it reduces possible cases of conflict of interest, fraud, or alteration of records.

However, proper implementation of IT and getting stakeholder support is inevitable and knowing

the technological constraints is also important. It is therefore conceivable that oversimplifying on

the ground resource issues or neglecting community sensitive factors while designing for system

implementation may perpetuate existing inequalities or generate new ones such as digital divides

or privacy. Discretion may also be hurt if the station experienced technical problems during a

newscast and cut out for a minute. In this context, the awareness of the ultimate goals of

transparency and equitable resource distribution should guide the design of new blockchain-

based systems that are integrated with legal frameworks, training, user interfaces, and multiple

sources of data input to ensure that the benefits of blockchain are balanced by the need for

proper, responsible, and ethical use of data in the future, adaptable to the local political, social,

and environmental contexts. Furthermore, by employing blockchain in conscientious and

context-sensitive manners, we can chart a viable and inclusive way to share resource data and

decisions to support conflict reduction and human development agendas. Non-critical faith in the

technical fix without paying attention to the fine details can lead to reinstantiating previous

injustices or generating new ones.

AI in the forecast of tensions associated with resources to reduce international insecurity

With the world population continually increasing and climate change real, the availability

of resources such as water, food and energy is likely to be an issue in the future; it may even lead

to clashes over these resources between countries hence affecting global security. Future AI

systems can, perhaps, contribute to the prediction of where and when these resource tensions are

more likely to occur by analyzing the economic, political, demographical and environmental

information flows. In the case of early warning indications, AI systems could triangulate satellite

imagery, climate data, crop yields, energy reserves, population movement, governance indicators

among others in order to generate risk heat maps indicating the probability of a flare up of

conflict over scarce resources in a particular region, and diplomacy could begin in earnest to

avoid escalation to armed conflict or humanitarian crisis levels. As these sources of data feeds

and subject matter expert inputs on resource security issues to train such AI forecasting systems

become available, such tools of forecasting may become indispensable for policymakers and

organizations that strive for the preservation of peace and stability of the world in the context of

increasing competition for the limited resources in the 21st century. By utilizing big data analysis,

and machine learning algorithms to look for patterns in the information space that it would take

humans far too long to sift through, the effective indicators of rising tensions over resources at

the national and regional levels can be found quickly, thus allowing the international community

to better provide timely and effective assistance through various means such as foreign aid, trade

policies, environmental agreements, conflict resolution, etc. When fine-tuned for a useful

capability, the AI forecasting of threats to resource security could be a valuable service to help

minimize risks and gain insights necessary to promote cooperation in managing resources instead

of conflict between countries dealing with scarcity of the resources in the climate change

affected world.

Social-cultural factors of resource conflicts

Rights of indigenous people in the areas containing natural resources and international security

The problem of indigenous people‟s rights referring to the management of natural

resources and the land question has become one of the most important topics of the relations

between indigenous people and other states and world community in the contemporary world.

First nation‟s people live in regions that contain valuable resources like oil, natural gas, minerals,

timber and arable land good for farming and development, which are resource that various

governments and companies want to exploit for their benefits. However, the utilization of these

resources often involve infringement of indigenous people‟s rights to their ancestral lands and

sources of livelihood, therefore leading to conflict over indigenous rights and title. For instance,

conflict arises when oil exploration and pipeline construction transpire in territories of First

Nations peoples in Canada; mining and logging that impinges the Amazonian tribes in Brazil; or

utilization of land for different purpose that poses risks to the Maori in New Zealand. The rights

of indigenous peoples have been enshrined in international law, but in a limited and sometimes

disputed fashion, and their collective rights are only slowly being incorporated. Other significant

pacts are the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that was passed in 2007 where

indigenous people have the right to traditional lands and resources, cultural integrity, and right to

self-determination. Nevertheless, the leading resource exporting nations at first rejected and

declined to endorse the declaration which they considered antithetical to state sovereignty over

the natural resources and the nation‟s development agenda. He has defined ongoing disputes as

constant struggles that involve the indigenous peoples on one hand and business on the other on

how to exploit resources for their benefit, but it is a rare thing to find middle ground. These

security risks can also be in regard to indigenous action and opposition. Some tribal and

aboriginal groups have participated in protest against invasions of development and threatened

major works, for example, the pipeline protest by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North

Dakota and the destruction of road by Amazonian Indigenous interested in environmentalism.

This activism often raises conflict, by employing state security forces which at times leads to use

of force. The most complicated trade-off that needs to be performed in and across states is on

how to safeguard indigenous people‟s rights on the one hand, and at the same time obtain the

required economic returns for business and development on the other. Cooperative solutions

incorporate legal and ethical issues, and stakeholders, culture and economy of the business with

aspects related to claim and value concerning the environment. Addressing these intricate

problems which is associated with indigenous peoples‟ rights, resources and use of their land

will go a long way in balancing justice for the indigenous people as well as the indigenous, world

security and development, corporate accountability and global preservation of environment.

Migration patterns due to Resource availability and how it affects security

Population density and climate change also urge people to leave their homes in search of

more secure living conditions where resources are more available and migration occurs within

and between countries from rural to urban centers and across borders from host to neighboring

states. This could exert pressure on the target areas especially urban centers in aspects such as

accommodation, employment, food and water supply. It is also possible to consider that mass

migration and refugeeisms are certain issues because they affect public utilities, social services,

economy, and social life, as well as they brings conflicts and instabilities. These migrations bring

about certain vices into states as much as subjects concerning security of territories, how states

manage to address the refugee problem, questions of accommodation and other infrastructures

are concerned. Thus one can safely assume that during the course of the subsequent decade‟s

climate change together with the shortage of resources will remain the cause of migration.

Specifically, those events that result in the complete loss of livelihoods such as droughts, floods

and storms that displace people will continue to pose a challenge to their homes while those by

slow processes like desertification or rise in sea levels, which makes some areas uninhabitable

will also continue to pose a challenge. This can be potentially disruptive and disadvantageous to

the existence and efficiencies of small island countries. Disparities over the scarce accessible

land and safe drinking water deepen conflicts within ethnic and communal groups. The conflicts

and forced migration produce infrastructural and public services‟ pressures in the destination

areas that put the state capacity under stress. The delivery of basic needs such as food and water,

shelter and employment opportunities may put pressure on the surrounding towns and cities

which the displaced population flocks to. Sometimes this has led to such matters as high levels of

criminal activity and other social evils which give a clue as to why the states need to collaborate

in coordinating the utilization of cross-boundary assets and the enhancement of adaptation and

coping strategies in addition to the safeguarding of vulnerable migrants and refugees.

Cultural beliefs that influence the use and protection of resources and its impacts on

international security

Culture is an important factor as relates to the use and management of natural resources

in different societies of the world because cultural beliefs exert enormous influence on how

natural resources are used and protected in different societies of the world and this can have

negative implications on international security when there are differences in the use of resources

between different groups or nations. Most of the indigenous people have a deep seated traditional

belief that they hold the land and its resources such as the forests, water bodies, and the wildlife

as gifts from gods, spirits, or other supernatural forces which must be preserved for the future

generations. However, the globalization of the Industrialized Western culture and their ideas of

economic progress and the utilization of natural resources, and other resources for monetary gain

has been a major hindrance to most of those traditional beliefs. For instance, controversies have

arisen between native people defending the use of land that is culturally sacred and those whose

aim is to exploit mineral resources or explore for oil and gas. Both contribute to acts of violence

for instance white people have been violent on Blacks and the appearance of groups of Boko

Haram in Africa due to factors such as desertification and lack of fields for grazing. As

established in the previous section, cultural differences in time perspective including near- versus

long-term orientation can significantly impact global goals like climate change. Politics of place:

People, who are inclined to make „presentist‟ cultures favor current benefits over future risks,

will not support any loss today for climate gains in future. Culture plays a strong influence in

people‟s perception of and attitude towards the natural environment but is threatened and slowly

transformed by globalization and capitalistic culture. If no solution is found to concerns

regarding cultural differences in exploring or preserving resources, unrest in society will occur in

the future consequently destabilizing many political systems in different parts of the world and

derailing international cooperation that is required in addressing global issues that threaten the

security of all nations.

New paradigms of cooperation in the management of resources conflicts

Joint management of resources through sharing of benefits to reduce insecurity and conflicts

Cooperation in management of resources that is sharing of the resources

disproportionately is vital in mitigating insecurity and conflicts as inequity in access forms the

basis of incongruity. When governments, companies, communities, and other stakeholders all

work together to make decisions about how natural resources and revenues, jobs, infrastructure

and public services should be managed and shared, accountability is enhanced. For example, in

some resource extraction projects, some have agreed to share the benefits whereby specific

percentage of the profit is going to be re-invested in the community while other part of the

people in the community will be employed by the company, which is way better. These measures

foster such rapport and togetherness instead of harboring grudges over perceived unequal

distribution of resources. Where shared benefits arrangements are in place, these can also contain

provisions for ways of resolving the conflict for the groups where they feel they are being

prejudiced before a full-blown conflict arises. The benefit sharing also fosters the institutional

arrangement necessary for constructing continuous communication structures between groups

and the state. On a more strategic level, equal distribution of the benefits of development projects

improves the regions‟ cohesion therefore reduces horizontal social imbalances which are often

the root of conflict between groups. While relative gaps in wealth, income or other factors

influencing social status may be reducing, absolute differences could be reducing along ethno-

religious lines or any other lines of division. The collaborative utilization of assets requires the

fair satisfaction of severally of the needs, enhance stakeholders‟ involvement, and respect rights

to promote peaceful coexistence. When certain parties believe that their own concerns are not

being represented for the purpose of benefiting the others, conflict occurs. Hence, through

integration, consensus on how resources and the derived revenues should be governed can

minimize real or perceived injustice that act as incentives to insecurity and violent conflict in any

given setting.

The ability of supranational bodies in the settlement of resource conflicts

Supranational organizations, especially the United Nations has been in the centre stage in

the settlement of resource conflicts as the fight over the natural resources that are necessary for

the sustenance of man intensifies; such bodies can contribute positively to the resolution of

conflict through fact finding missions, shuttle diplomacy, formal arbitration mechanisms, and

peace making among others, though their involvement is widely seen as biased and ineffectual.

Regarding gains, the supranational involvement could offer the disputing parties a structured

framework within which to negotiate; this is in addition to offering incentives to reach an

agreement and technical assistance in cases where the conflict involves intricate resource

allocation issues; however, there are drawbacks, which include a scenario where the intervention

is viewed as biased or rewarding aggression; the third, enforcement of any agreement may be

difficult especially where non-state actors are involved and are not inclined to Examples of

conflict resolution efforts and their promises and perils at the supranational level are the

ASEAN-led initiatives aimed at decreasing tensions within the grouping over control of water

sources and navigation rights in the South China Sea, recurrent conflict between herders and

farmers in parts of Sahel resolved partly through the use of UN and regional diplomatists, and

the skepticism of indigenous peoples about the World Bank advice on how to manage their oil-

rich terrain and rainforest. However, as not the perfect remedy, external intervention by agencies

like the International Court of Justice, various economic communities on the African continent or

other special envoys of the United Nations can, in a number of cases, bring pressure, experience

and political face to save the disputing parties to actively continue the process of the so-called

“no peace without justice” approach and move forward in conflicts over scarce resources, though

the lasting resolutions of such conflicts depend

Bottom-up governance of resources at the community level to curb international insecurity

A bottom-up governance of resources at the community level could assist in mitigating

international insecurity as it will grant communities more control over resources such as food,

water, shelter, health care, and education, making the above necessities more equitably

distributed and therefore decreasing desperation and resentment which are key instigators of

insecurity, radicalization, conflict, and migration. For example, research indicates that food

insecurity is associated with political instability and conflict, it might be possible to build more

resilience through top-down approaches that support food security at the community level

through people-driven structures and processes that allow communities to engage meaningfully

in the governance and control of food systems, agriculture policies, land tenure, and distribution

of inputs. Similar principles can be applied to other basic public goods such as water, medicine,

housing, and schools; when the people of a particular locality are involved in the management of

these resources through coproduction, democratic structures at the base; it fosters social capital

and the society‟s ability to cope with shocks arising from climate change, economic or social

crises. This then gives more stability and low chances of mass displacement and radicalization

threats that may affect neighboring countries. But, changing from a highly centralized and

bureaucratic approach, where resources are controlled from the top-down, to a decentralized

approach, controllable from the bottom-up, is a difficult process because power structures that

depend on vertical hierarchies may not accept being subordinate to, and actually supporting, the

creation of accountable and inclusive community institutions and the technological tools and

human resources needed to track, distribute, and replenish resources at the hyper-local level. As

these components are achieved, literature shows that bottom up resource governance enhances

efficiency and sustainability, reduces social conflict and relieves pressures that foster extremism

and irregular migration that cause instability in several parts of the world.

Conclusion

The need for interdisciplinary approaches to conflict prevention in the utilization of resources

The need for interdisciplinary approaches to conflict prevention in the utilization of

resources is helpful to address this requirement of interdisciplinary for the use of resources in the

prevention of conflicts given the fact that there are many issues that surround the utilization of

resources. In many instances, policies made regarding the use of natural resources consider them

from the viewpoint of one field of study while ignoring other fields and factors that shape and

are shaped by those resources. Interdisciplinary approach refers to the incorporation of

professionals with different backgrounds; they have a better perspective on the trade-off and

conflict that are likely to occur when making any resource decisions. If the policymakers are

availed with the analysis prepared by cross-disciplinary teams including the natural and social

scientists, engineers, legal experts, ethicists and the community members, the policymakers I

capable of making balanced decisions which eventually lead to non-radical outcomes which may

be subjected to controversies. Identifying with complexity governance regimes, interdisciplinary

work allows for the emergence of strategies that are responsive to multi-identity priorities,

counter to the existing discipline-specific assumptions which give light to interactions and how

things may transpire in ways that would have otherwise not been seen. Bridging the hurdles that

disciplinary divides entail such as differences in language, approaches and epistemology. But

there is no other option because the severity of present and the future resource crises require us

to do so. If solutions could be found in these neat disciplinary compartments, the pressures on

practically exploitable global common assets, including freshwater, fisheries, and forests, would

not be aggravating the risks of violence in so many parts of the world. Given the way these

tensions are written into the grid of contemporary societies, the only way to design governance

structures that effectively challenge zero-sum orientations from crystallizing and reinforcing

themselves is to apply for an interdisciplinary approach.

Meeting the organization’s short-term resource requirements while at the same time being

Managing the resources of an organization and the work that needs to be done

concurrently with social and environmental welfare is never easy, but it is highly relevant in

today‟s global village. Business entities depend on such factors as raw materials, employees,

production capabilities, and distribution channels to manufacture and supply products and

services to the market within the shortest time possible to earn back their cost of production and

make profits that can satisfy the shareholders. Nevertheless, the processes and avenues applied

for the acquisition of these core assets may yield social repercussions, especially where

environmental responsibility and the respect for workers‟ rights are not duly considered.

Managers are then faced with the key decision-making areas such as choice of suppliers,

locations for production, distribution methods, etc., decisions that cannot be made purely on cost

consideration without regard for the social cost that may arise from those decisions. Purchasing

domestically sourced certified renewable products or some of the components of assembly from

companies which have committed to fair labor standards may initially be costlier but would

avoid potential future crises which are likely to lead to boycotts and any resultant activism which

are likely to have a negative effect on the sales and share price in the future. Strategies of energy

efficiency and waste reduction further show appreciation of corporate responsibility as well. It is

important that one cannot dismiss the material risks involved with lack of attention to

environmental and social costs of the short-term business logic of shareholder-oriented resource

allocation decisions. The CEOs and business leaders must understand that such an approach to

cost evaluation can help firms grow and ensure ambitious sustainability goals for supply

networks. When it concerns the investment in resources, companies are ready to put long-term

strategies into practice that allows them to meet current requirements and at the same time move

forward as responsible and sustainable corporate entities.

Mindful of the long-term implications and Building a global culture of resource management

Given the increasing population and industrialization of developing countries, human

consumption of these resources such as fossil fuels, minerals, forests, and water is rapidly rising;

therefore, efficient utilization of resources necessary to sustain life on the planet has become a

critical demand for generation equity and preservation of the earth for posterity. In an effort to

foster conservation on a global scale and the efficient use of resources, the global world needs to

act in unison because problems such as climate change and loss of species are not restricted by

country. Governments of both developed and the developing world require formulating policies

that have the potential of bringing an economic growth and poverty eradication without

encouraging the vices noticed in developed world such as reckless production and consumption

patterns that were characteristic of early industrialization. The developed world have the

responsibility to initiate the process of creating suitable systems since it has historically used

more resources and possesses better technical and financial capability. Carbon taxation,

renewable energy and public transport infrastructures, technology transfer to avoid carbon-reliant

development, and financing through multilateral organizations need to be part of the collective

global action to manage climate change. However, the policy interventions in isolation are not

comprehensive and cannot be effective without changes in social perception and economic

rationalization at micro level. As for the broader communities of citizens, businesses, and other

CSOs, including NGOs, they are also expected to engage in informational campaigns and

grassroots activism to promote the need and strategies for implementing the WEHAB framework

and other forms of culture change for environmental sustainability globally.

RESOURCE SCARCITY AS A TRIGGER FOR INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES: PREDICTIONS AND PREVENTIONS

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