Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
How natural is natural? Seeking
conceptual clarity over natural
resources and conflicts
Marcel Rutten
1
& Moses Mwangi
2
,
3
Abstract
Several schools of thought across scientific disciplines have dealt with the
phenomenon of conflicts over natural resources. This has enriched the debate but like-
wise has also blurred the discussion especially as a result of the generic use of some
concepts such as natural resources. This chapter seeks insights in some of these con-
ceptual misunderstandings especially towards the use of the word natural in resources.
Examples are given how these varying understandings impact the way different schol-
ars include or exclude certain kinds of natural resources. Furthermore, attention is
devoted to work conducted by environmental scientists, having experienced similar
problems within their own discipline, in building a model that aimed to set a standard
in their field. This framework is elaborated upon by the authors following a political
economy angle in an attempt to widen it to the conflict context. The result is an ana-
lytical model that underlines attention for history and different geographical scales of
analysis. The importance of the role of politics and a globalised world in understanding
natural resource conflicts is also stressed. An example from Kenya shows that, among
others, political aspects, at some time in the course of development of the conflict are
likely to come into play and should be included in any thorough understanding of
conflicts over natural resources.
Keywords
Natural resources, conceptual definition, conflict analysis model, role of
politics, Kenya.
4.1 INTRODUCTION
Researchers use conceptual models to simplify complexity and seek causality between
variables. Conceptual clarity is a prerequisite for unravelling complex situations. In
this chapter, attention will be devoted to the two concepts all of the contributors to this
Search WWH ::
Custom Search