Resource Wars: A Geopolitical Perspective
The world of relatively accessible natural resources is now a thing of the past. As it becomes more difficult to find secure and clean energy sources and manage chronic food and water shortages, some countries that were once politically and economically marginal will become increasingly more important. And as another billion people will be added to the world's population, the fight for resources will become ever fiercer. These will result in further erosion of personal and states' securities. In this course we will analyze, from a geographic perspective, the political, economic, social, and environmental dynamics of conflicts over natural resources at the local, regional, international, and intra-national scales. We will pay special attention to the ways natural resources fuel conflict. 3 hrs. lect./1 hr. disc.