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Natural Resources and Social ConflictWater and Security in Africa: State-Centric Narratives, Human Insecurities

Natural Resources and Social Conflict: Water and Security in Africa: State-Centric Narratives,... [Africa has long been a battleground of underdevelopment, described by UNICEF (1994: 25) as being locked in a downward spiral of population increase, environmental degradation and poverty. Homer-Dixon (1999) drew many of his case studies from Africa in explication of the role of renewable resource degradation in ‘acute conflict’. Collier and Hoeffler (2004) centred attention on African states’ dependence upon resource extraction and its link to civil war, spawning a vast literature on the so-called resource curse (see chapters by Arthur and Whitman in this volume). Case studies of West African conflicts highlighted the role of lootable resources (diamonds, timber) in political instability (Richards, 1996; Reno, 1998; Ellis, 1999; also, see Le Billon, 2001 for an overview). Others have speculated on the role of unemployed youth in gang violence, as child soldiers, and as ready conscripts into Africa’s many rebel movements. This ‘youth bulge’ is thought to be a key contributor to peri-urban instability, including inter-ethnic and gender-based violence, which is funded by trade in drugs, small arms and endangered species (Goldstone, 2001; Urdal, 2006).] http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png

Natural Resources and Social ConflictWater and Security in Africa: State-Centric Narratives, Human Insecurities

Part of the International Political Economy Series Book Series
Editors: Schnurr, Matthew A.; Swatuk, Larry A.
Swatuk, Larry A.
Natural Resources and Social Conflict — Oct 28, 2015
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References (42)

Publisher
Palgrave Macmillan UK
Copyright
© Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 2012
ISBN
978-1-349-33420-9
Pages
83 –107
DOI
10.1057/9781137002464_5
Publisher site
See Chapter on Publisher Site

Abstract

[Africa has long been a battleground of underdevelopment, described by UNICEF (1994: 25) as being locked in a downward spiral of population increase, environmental degradation and poverty. Homer-Dixon (1999) drew many of his case studies from Africa in explication of the role of renewable resource degradation in ‘acute conflict’. Collier and Hoeffler (2004) centred attention on African states’ dependence upon resource extraction and its link to civil war, spawning a vast literature on the so-called resource curse (see chapters by Arthur and Whitman in this volume). Case studies of West African conflicts highlighted the role of lootable resources (diamonds, timber) in political instability (Richards, 1996; Reno, 1998; Ellis, 1999; also, see Le Billon, 2001 for an overview). Others have speculated on the role of unemployed youth in gang violence, as child soldiers, and as ready conscripts into Africa’s many rebel movements. This ‘youth bulge’ is thought to be a key contributor to peri-urban instability, including inter-ethnic and gender-based violence, which is funded by trade in drugs, small arms and endangered species (Goldstone, 2001; Urdal, 2006).]

Published: Oct 28, 2015

Keywords: Human Development Index; Integrate Water Resource Management; Water Security; African State; Child Soldier

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