high value natural resources

8/12/2019 High Value Natural Resources

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Highvalue

Natural

Resources:Implications

forSocialConflict

Spring2012

ColumbiaUniversity


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3

Overview

1.WhatareHighvalueNaturalResources(HVNRs)?

2.WhatconnectsHVNRstoconflict,insecurity,and

developmentconcerns?

3.CanwildlifeandwildlifeproductsactasHVNRs?

4.Whatdoesthismeanfortheconservationofhigh

valuewildlife?


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4

Highvalue

Natural

Resources

Generallyrefertothosecommoditiesthatintheir

naturalstate

have

the

potential

to

yield

substantial

revenues.


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When

well

managed,

these

valuable

resources

can

be

thecornerstoneofeconomicprosperity.

Photo:Doha,capitaloftheStateofQatar


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The

Resource

Curse

or

(Paradox

of

Plenty)

Practitionersalmost universally

believe

the

resource

cursetobeanimportantconflictdriver.

Countriesandregionswithabundantnatural

resources,described

as

high

value

like

precious

stonesandfuels tendtohavelesseconomic

prosperityandpoorsocialdevelopmentrelativeto

countrieswithfewernaturalresources.


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TheResource

Curse

Mostcommonlycitedresourcesofconcern:

Oil,naturalgas,diamonds,gold,rubies,coltan,and

highvaluetimber(rosewood).

Butthelisthasbroadenedtoinclude:

Cocoa,coffee,charcoal.

Ref:GlobalWitness,2007.HotChocolate:HowcocoafuelledtheconflictinCted'Ivoire.GlobalWitness,London.


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TheResource

Curse

Ishypothesized

to

happen

for

many

different

reasons.


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MechanismsconnectingHVNRsto

Conflict,insecurity

and

development

concerns:

Thisinverse

relationship

is

described

through

a

collectionofmechanisms

Resource

Curse

(or

paradox

of

plenty) DutchDisease

Greedandgrievancemechanisms

Theability

to

encourage

corruption

and

directly

financearmeduprisings.


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11

DutchDisease

Resourceabundancecauseseconomicstagnation.

FirstdescribedintheNetherlands afterthe

exploitationoffossilfuelsmadeexports

(manufacturingand

agriculture)

generally

uncompetitive.

Havingalargeamountofhighvalueexportable

resourcesdampened

economic

growth

and

distorts

governance.

Correlated

with

high

levels

of

conflict

outbreaks.


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12

Greedand

Grievance

Greedmodel overthrowingthe

governmentis

away

to

wealth

andpower.

Grievancemodel

when

parties

feelthattheyhavebeentreated

unfairlycomparedtotheir

perceivedentitlements

or

prior

privileges.


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14

Methods

LiteraturereviewCriminology;Terrorism;PoliticalConflict;

and,SustainableDevelopmentliteratures.

Interviews:

EnvironmentalCooperationforPeacebuilding,UN

EnvironmentProgramme.

AdvancedConsortium

for

Conflict,

Cooperation

and

Complexity(AC4),ColumbiaUniversity.

WildlifeTradeProgram,InternationalFundforAnimal

Welfare,Washington

DC.

ConventionontheInternationalTradeinEndangered

Species(CITES),WashingtonDC.


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15

Wildlifeas

aResource

Curse

Whereecologicalresourcesareattractiveenoughfor

highpayinginternationalaudiencesitcanbearesource

curse.

Photo

National

Geographic


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16

Wildlifeas

aResource

Curse

DemandforivoryinNorthAmericaandAsiaishigh.

InChinaIvoryasasymbolofsocialstatus isakeydriver.

Photo

National

Geographic


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17

Wildlifeas

aResource

Curse

Religion/Cultureisanimportantdriverofivory

consumptionincountriessuchasthePhilippines.

Photo

National

Geographic


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Rhinohornexceedstheper

kilogramprice

of

gold

at

harvest

OnehornsellsforuptoUS$250000.00


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TheWildlife

Wars


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20

Wildlifeas

aResource

Curse

AChinese

reporter

in

Kenya

covers

the

burning

of

5.5

tonsofsmuggledivory.Kenyahelpedlaunchaglobal

ivorybanin1989butlatelyhasbeenstockpilingitsivory.

Photo

National

Geographic


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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

=g4StI2aNpgM&list=PLRWedKvIagI

Uxp5tRqHiGU6M5DiVfpcgY

GodsIvory


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Wildlifeproductsareclassiclootable

resourcesResourcesthatcanbeextractedbyrelativelysimplemethods

andsmuggledacrossborders;highvaluetoweightratios;

relativeease

of

concealment;

difficulty

in

distinguishing

betweenlegalandillegalprocurementandpointoforigin.

Thesecharacteristicstogethermakesafractionofnatural

resources

lootable.

Diamonds Elephant Ivory


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Speciesor

AnimalPart

Uses ReportedRetailPrice:range

ormaxinUS$

MammalsLion Trophy $10000$50000ea.

Lion:bones Tigerbonesubstitute $165perkilo

Orangutans Exoticpet/Tourism

entertainment/Disreputable

zooexhibitanimals

$1,000ea.

Rhino:horn Traditionalmedicine Onehornsellsforupto$250

000

Tiger:skin/pelt Decorative/Clothing UptoUS$20000ea.

SnowLeopard:

pelt Decorative/Clothing Up

to

US$20

000

ea.

Elephant:rawivory Decorative/Various $6,500perkilo

CubsofLions,Hyenas

andLeopards

Exoticpetforwealtheliteof

theGulfstates

Upto$12700ea.

Pangolins Luxuryfooditem/Traditional

medicine

Upto$7,000ea.

Amphibians

TokayGecko

(Gekkogecko)

Exoticpet/Traditionalmedicine Upto$2,330ea.


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SelectedExamples:Pangolin,Tokay

Gecko,and

Lears

Macaw

$7,000ea.

$2,300

ea.

$90,000

ea.


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HVNRS:encouragescorruption,ill

conceivedenvironmental

policies

&

underminesgovernance

Wherecorruptionishighesttraffickingispervasive,including

networksthatstretchintothemilitary,police,borderguards,

judiciary,customsofficials,embassystaff,andstatediplomats,

allof

whom

actively

facilitate

trafficking.


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policies

&


ApartheidSouthAfricasmuggledwildlifeproducts,principally

ivoryand

rhino

horns,

on

amassive

scale

during

its

incursions

intoAngolaandNamibiaasameansoftoppingupthestate

treasuryandsustainingitssouthernAfricamilitarycampaigns.


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policies

&


Theprofitabilityofivoryforthesenationalgovernmentsowningstockpileshasencouragedillconceivedenvironmental

policiesthathaveunderminedelephantconservation

internationally.


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Wildlife

now

fuels

wars

and

terrorism

JosephKony,theLord's

ResistanceArmy

(LRA)

leader,(left). funds

operationspartly

throughtheivorytrade.

AlShabab,a

Somalicelltiedto

AlQaeda


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Grievances

and

Symbolism

Theseactivitiesmirrorthewidescalevandalismand

environmentalterrorismthathasplaguedotherHVNRs

suchasoildrillsandrefineriesintheNigerdeltaandIraq.

June2012killingof15OkapiattheOkapiWildlifeReserve,

DRC.

Killingof

endangered

mountainGorillasbyMaiMai

RebelsinDRC.


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HVNRS:encourageseconomicshock

andinstability,

and

undermines

economies

Aswithotherformsofhighvalueillicittrade,theviolence(orthreatofviolence)surroundingpoachingandthewildlife

warsalsoundermineotherlegitimateeconomicactivitiesby

contributingto

aperception

of

regional

insecurity.


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Whatcanbedone?TheKimberley

Process

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7Ruj5y9FH4


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Whatelse?

HomeworkforWednesday preparealistof5itemsto

discusswhatotherinterventionscouldbeusedtoaddress

theissue

of

the

crime

and

violence

surrounding

the

trade

inhighvaluewildlife.

Internationalapproach

(Governments

and

NGOs)

PositivesorNegativesofsuchapproaches

Lookat

News,

Magazines,

Websites

etc.

to

get

informationandideas.


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HighValue

Natural

Resources&The

ResourceCurse

Spring

2012ColumbiaUniversity

high value natural resources

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