LSE: Resources in Conflict-Affected Regions

Access to natural resources appears to be a major factor in many national or international conflicts. Oil, gold, and diamonds are the first that come to mind as resources that have played a role in the onset or duration of conflicts in Africa and the Middle East. Clean water and the cultivation of crops such as coca or poppies play their part in conflicts in other places around the world. This series explores how resources, their production and distribution have affected (ethnic) conflicts and how local or informal arrangements may negotiate the ensuing tensions.