Resource Conflicts Research Articles

Determinant factors of resource conflict between farmers and herdsmen in benue state, nigeria.

The determinant factors of resource conflict between farmers and herdsmen in Benue State were analysed. Objectives were to assess the prevalence of resource conflict factors in Benue state and determine factors most responsible for the resource conflict in Benue state. Field survey of three hundred and eighty-two (382) residents was conducted using questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion. Data collected were analyzed using percentage and Factor Analysis. Results showed that factors such as drought, flood, erosion, pollution, politics, greed, proliferation of arms, religion, tribalism, expansion of farmland, increases in herds, poverty, unemployment, cattle rustling, destruction of crops by herds, population growth and urbanization are responsible for the conflict. However, further, analysis of result shows that only 1.38% of respondents posited that environmental/climatic factors, 30% economic factors, 32.78% greed/insecurity, 13.75% and 22.08% posited cultural and population factors respectively. It was concluded that human factors such as economic, greed/insecurity, cultural and population are the major drivers of the resource conflict between farmers and herdsmen than environmental factors like erosion, flood and draught. promote skill acquisition and create jobs to engage youths to boast the economy and reduce conflict.

Is corporate transparency the solution to political failure on our greatest problems? A discussion of Darendeli, Fiechter, Hitz, and Lehmann (2022)

Advocacy groups have responded to the lack of political solutions to some of the greatest problems we face—from climate change to armed conflicts—by lobbying for securities regulation that increases corporate transparency. They aim to incentivize corporations to address problems that lack other political solutions. I discuss what we can (and cannot) learn about the efficacy of reporting mandates from the findings in Darendeli et al. (2022) and related papers that stakeholders respond to greater availability of corporate social responsibility information. I support my arguments with evidence from mandatory conflict mineral disclosures—to date, the only related US securities regulation. Although stakeholder responses are likely necessary to incentivize changes in corporate behavior, they are insufficient to justify a mandate. A convincing justification must explain how reporting mandates lead to socially beneficial real effects, are best overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and are less costly than alternative policy instruments. So far, proponents of reporting mandates have, at best, provided incomplete justifications. These circumstances are problematic given the current push for mandatory reporting related to issues such as climate change and workplace diversity.

Imagining Persecution: Why American Christians Believe There Is a Global War against Their Faith by Jason Bruner.

<i>Imagining Persecution: Why American Christians Believe There Is a Global War against Their Faith</i> by Jason Bruner.

A large-scale equilibrium model of energy emergency production: Embedding social choice rules into Nash Q-learning automatically achieving consensus of urgent recovery behaviors

A large-scale energy emergency production plan driven by extreme events in energy supply chain networks is the low-probability/high-consequence event that is difficult to prepare. One of the most prominent challenges is efficiently computing the equilibrium point characterized with more frequently involved in common resource conflicts due to different player behaviors in energy supply chain networks. In this paper, a novel large-scale equilibrium model of energy emergency production: embedding social choice rules into Nash Q-learning automatically achieving consensus of urgent recovery behaviors, is proposed to tackle this challenge. The main contributions of this work are that firstly set up a large-scale equilibrium model of energy emergency production to formulate energy emergency production plans by modifying the large-scale energy equilibrium model, and the computational limitations of Generalized Nash Equilibrium are overcame by combination of Nash Q-learning methods and individuals’ preferences reaching a collective decision which guarantees uniqueness of the large-scale Nash equilibrium to achieve both system-level efficiency and maximum fairness. Simulations results show that the generalized Nash bargaining solution can be implemented by the proposed large-scale equilibrium model of energy emergency production, in which outcome of the game is the emergency production stable equilibria alternative with no chance moves in a given consensus level, and compared with the existing techniques considering non-cooperative behaviors, it has a significantly lower minimisation of time for the energy restoration by twenty-nine percent, and reduces minimisation of cost for the energy restoration by seventeen percent and minimisation of carbon dioxide emissions by twenty-three percent with disaster recovery.

A comparative study of farming and fishing households’ livelihood vulnerability in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Multiple stressors such as climate shocks, environmental degradation and resource conflicts may pose a great challenge for African communities struggling to adapt to climate change. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence on the differential vulnerabilities of farming and fishing households to these triple stressors. Using a household survey in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, we compare the vulnerability of farming and fishing households. We find that the farming households were more exposed to the triple stressors while the fishing households were more sensitive to the triple stressors owing to their poor physical and natural asset base. In addition, we find that the two groups share similar adaptive capacity and composite vulnerability scores. Overall, interventions such as credit schemes can enable fishing households to address their livelihood disruptions and build their asset endowment, and climate-responsive interventions such as early warning systems can partly reduce the climate exposure of farming households.

The graph model for composite decision makers and its application to a water resource conflict

To analyze a strategic conflict involving composite decision makers (CDMs), this paper uses the methodology of the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR). A CDM is a group of individuals with differing decision characteristics – conservative or aggressive – any one of whom can make a decision on behalf of the group. In our model, a conservative CDM makes moves that take into account the interests of all group members, aiming to protect each one from possible sanctions; an aggressive CDM gives priority to some individuals that will benefit and does not necessarily consider the interests of other group members when making moves. Based on these different decision characteristics, two versions of hesitant fuzzy stability definitions, indexed I and II, are proposed. To facilitate the stability analysis of the graph model with multiple decision makers (DMs), including at least one CDM, a matrix-based method called Matrix Representation for Hesitant Fuzzy Stability is developed to identify the equilibria of the model, or states that are stable for all DMs and are therefore possible resolutions of the conflict. A water resource conflict in the Lancang-Mekong River basin is utilized to demonstrate the system. The results reveal how the decision characteristics of CDMs can influence the equilibria of a conflict.

Curbing the usage of conflict minerals: A supply network perspective

ABSTRACTAn important source of funds for the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the revenue from mineral mining. NGOs and legislators made efforts to require manufacturers that use “conflict minerals” to learn and disclose their sources. In the mineral supply chain, the critical link between mines and manufacturers is smelters. We study equilibrium sourcing decisions in the supply network consisting of manufacturers and smelters. We show the equilibrium depends on the total demand of “compliance‐prone” manufacturers, which would choose to be compliant if the prices of certified and noncertified metals were equal. We identify the conditions for the existence of several types of equilibrium: an all‐certified equilibrium where all smelters become certified; an equilibrium where both metal types coexist with no shortage of certified metal; and an equilibrium where both metal types coexist with a shortage of certified metal. In the event that an all‐certified equilibrium is out of reach, we identify how the usage of conflict minerals changes as an NGO or a legislative body targets additional manufacturers. Our model does not incorporate deliberate choices by the mines to become verified conflict‐free, that may enhance the effect of the penalties in the long run. However, in the short‐to‐intermediate run, for a given pool of mines that are verified, an implication of our results is that imposing penalties on manufacturers goes only so far: If penalties induce sufficiently many manufacturers to become compliance‐prone, certified metal may become so expensive that some compliance‐prone manufacturers will not comply.

A conflict avoidance algorithm for space-based collaborative stereo observation mission scheduling of space debris

Clustering can improve the efficiency for space-based observation of multiple space debris. However, clustering will cause conflicts among available observation facilities of the target and increase the complexity of scheduling. A mathematical model and a Conflict Avoidance scheduling algorithm based on Simulated Annealing (CASA) are proposed in this paper for space-based observation scheduling of multiple space debris considering stereo observation angle and target clustering. Firstly, considering the requirements of multiple satellites synchronization in space debris observation scheduling, three indicators are proposed: the number of completed tasks, average stereo angle and the balance of available facilities, a mathematical model of scheduling is established. Secondly, a space debris target clustering method and observation slot division method are proposed. To solve the resource conflict caused by clustering a solution method based on conflict avoidance is proposed. Finally, an optimization algorithm based on simulated annealing is used to determine the sequence of debris targets for scheduling. Experimental results demonstrate that CASA can obtain scheduling results without conflict efficiently. And the fitness obtained by this method is better than the other three fixed criteria implemented methods. This study can provide methodological support for space-based observation scheduling of multiple space debris.

The role of markets on resource conflicts*

AbstractWe develop a generalized theory of resource conflict. We demonstrate that the existence of a resource curse (or blessing) relies on two fundamental elements: (i) market conditions; and (ii) the production technology or agents’ preferences, depending on the context under study. When resource prices are treated as exogenous, we obtain the conventional result: an increase in the value of the resource rent, due to an increase in its price or its availability (or lower opportunity cost of appropriation), increases conflict. However, when the price of the contestable resource is endogenously determined (i.e., in local markets) or if markets do not exist, we find that the relationship between conflict intensity and resource abundance depends on the production technology or on agents’ preferences: conflict can increase when the contestable resource becomes scarcer. Therefore, our paper identifies a fundamental transmission mechanism in resource conflicts.

Introduction: Quo Vadis , Latin America? Human Rights, Environmental Governance and the Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: <scp> <i>Quo Vadis</i> </scp> , Latin America? Human Rights, Environmental Governance and the Sustainable Development Goals

Optimal design of the ecological compensation mechanism in transboundary river basins under the Belt and Road Initiative

The ecological compensation mechanism is an effective economic policy for solving resource conflicts, enhancing interest synergies, and achieving environmental sustainability. In the development of the Belt and Road, it is also an essential tool for promoting the cooperative management of international rivers. Therefore, this study discusses the necessity of transboundary ecological compensation and explores how to promote its stable establishment. First, the evolutionary game theory was used to clarify the interaction mechanism between upstream and downstream countries and the supervision commission, which is co-financed by riparian countries. Second, scenario simulation analyses are presented to explore the influence of key parameters on the dynamic evolutionary behaviors of the tripartite game subjects. Based on the above research, we proposed to establish an ecological compensation elastic mechanism and optimize the design of the path. The results showed that: (1) The higher the asymmetry between countries along transboundary rivers, the more difficult it is for ecological compensation projects to be smoothly implemented; (2) supervision is always valid for upstream and downstream countries to comply with the ecological compensation contract as asymmetry varies, especially in shared rivers with high asymmetry; (3) charging liquidated damage for upstream and downstream countries is an effective restraint measure, especially for downstream countries; and (4) there is a marginal diminishing effect on the constraints of downstream countries when the liquidated damage is at a certain high level (i.e., the liquidated damage is higher than the increased water ecological benefits).

GLOBALIZATION AND CONFLICT IN AFRICA: INSIGHTS FROM THE NIGER DELTA CRISIS

Undoubtedly, Africa is one continent that has had its fair share of the impact of the all-embracing and contradictory process of Globalization. Against the position of neo-liberal scholars and apologists who present globalization as a remedy to all socio-economic and political challenges, the African reality has not been encouraging and favourable especially its linkage to different theatres of conflict on the continent. It is in the light of this that the research studied the interplay and impact between globalization and conflict on the people, societies and states of Africa. To achieve this objective, the study makes use of secondary data. And to give theoretical direction to the research work the study is based on the Marxian Structural Conflict Theory. To concretize our argument, the Niger Delta resource and environmental conflict situation is used as the papers’ case study. After an exhaustive analysis of the available data, the discourse comes to the conclusion that globalization has acted and continues to act as a stimulant to the various conflict situations in Africa. And that this interplay has brought a lot of hardship, pain and agony to the people and societies of the African continent.

Just mobility futures: Challenges for e-mobility transitions from a global perspective

E-mobility has become the dominant answer for many governments in the Global North for reducing carbon emissions in the transport sector. Recently, several contributions discussed the justice implications of such e-mobility transitions. However, these were largely focused on the production and consumption of electric vehicles. Studies on injustices at the upstream end of global e-vehicle commodity chains are largely missing. We therefore suggest studying conflicts around the extraction of resources needed for the electrification of the mobility sector to identify justice demands made by protest actors in the Global South. We bring together the large body of literature on conflicts around mining in the Global South, and the literature on energy and mobility justice. We ask what justice demands are formulated by protest actors in conflicts over the extraction of cobalt, lithium, and copper, and what implications these demands have for the understanding and conceptualization of transitions towards just mobility futures from a global perspective. To answer these questions, we develop an analytical framework based on Fraser’s conceptualization of justice, and the concept of “justice frames”. We conclude with an overview of different justice demands voiced in resource conflicts and their implications for envisioning different types of just mobility futures.

Analysis on Human Resource Management and Conflict Resolution in The Long Road of Indonesian Era

As a nation, Indonesia is still in the process of nation-building. Since the beginning of Indonesia's independence, youth or young groups have played a key role in the nation-building process that determines the direction of the next development of the Indonesian state. Young people, from time to time, have distinctive characteristics that are influenced by the socio-cultural-political conditions in which they grow up. The interactions that occur between young people and the government will have an impact on future leadership styles. This paper aims to describe the pattern of human resource management in Indonesia's nation-building process, particularly in analysing the pattern of conflict resolution between the youth and the government in each era of Indonesian leadership (Old Order, New Order, and Post-Reformation)

When it’s the slaves that pay: In search of a fair due diligence cost distribution in conflict mineral supply chains

Modern slavery and conflict minerals are often treated as two separate grand challenges governed by different legislation, yet conflict mineral settings commonly involve and inflict slavery in supply chains – hence these two wicked problems are deeply interconnected. This paper focuses on due diligence in the context of conflict mineral supply chains, and in doing so provides important insights for modern slavery in general. Using more than 38 h of recordings from exploratory interviews with 46 experts from 43 organizations, our study investigates: a) how due diligence costs and benefits are actually distributed in supply chains in practice; and b) the means through which due diligence costs and benefits can be (more appropriately) shared. We find that there is a lack of contextualization of cost-sharing mechanisms to conflict mineral supply chains, with most mechanisms being imported from the standard business literature where the producer must pay the production costs before reaping the benefits that offset these costs. But in conflict mineral supply chains, these benefits often do not materialize for the producer and, consequently, cost-sharing mechanisms lead to unintended consequences. The findings question the usefulness of due diligence, call for alternative financing mechanisms, and for contextualized solutions designed from the bottom up. This in turn has important implications for enhancing legislation on modern slavery.

Iceberg sovereignty

Icebergs have a long history of commercial exploitation and while climate change has accelerated interest in Arctic resources, this enigmatic symbol of the region has received little attention in contemporary legal debates. In an age of growing freshwater scarcity, iceberg harvesting is currently unregulated and without legal status under international law beyond the rule of capture. Positioned at the intersection of water security and economic gain, icebergs are primed as a site for resource conflict. Framing the legal status of ice within historical debates, this paper considers principles of international law that could apply in determining rights derived from sovereignty over this resource. It posits a regulatory pathway via the Arctic Council, although the resource may in time simply disappear from both the legal and physical landscape.

Conceptualising eco-violence: moving beyond the multiple labelling of water and agricultural resource conflicts in the Sahel

The conflict over water and agricultural resources within the Sahel of Africa has led to the destruction of lives, property and nature for decades. The extant practice is to label these conflicts with multiple names and conceptualise them as single-issue events. This article illustrates this practice further and highlights some issues associated with such approaches. Existing terms for these conflicts in Africa’s Sahel region are primarily linked to people’s occupations and ethnic identities, distracting efforts to gain a deeper understanding. This view obscures the broad dimensions of these struggles among those competing for water and agricultural resources. Thus, this paper remedies the conceptual gaps by recommending ‘eco-violence’ as an umbrella term for these conflicts and foregrounding the emerging trends of eco-violence within the Sahel region. By referring to these conflicts as eco-violence, we can foster a more inclusive perspective that incorporates social and environmental injustices and political failures as factors related to these conflicts.

Energy-Aware Computation Management Strategy for Smart Logistic System With MEC

As the most important part of a smart city and long-standing challenging issue, a highly efficient smart logistic system has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. In particular, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are ideal solutions for last-mile delivery scenarios in recent years due to their fast speed and easy deployment. However, because of the highly automatic delivery process, UAVs are still constrained by the limited payload, battery, and computing capacity for complex computational tasks. With the aid of the mobile edge computing (MEC) technology, UAVs can offload computational tasks to the MEC computational resources in various types of IoT environments. In spite of the task offloading which can enhance their task process capability, it also brings extra overhead, such as data transfer time and energy consumption. These extra overheads may significantly impact the efficiency and payload of UAV-based delivery systems. Therefore, taking the UAV last-mile delivery system with MEC as an example, this article investigates the energy-aware multi-UAV task computation management problem according to a realistic autonomous delivery network (ADNET). Specifically, we propose a computation management strategy, namely, the MEC-based task offloading and scheduling strategy (TOSS), to provide an integral approach covering both the static task offloading and scheduling algorithm, as well as the dynamic resource conflict resolution algorithm. Grounded on real-world scenarios, our experimental results show that TOSS can achieve a higher payload for UAVs by using minimum energy consumption and task makespan within the given constraints of the deadline compared to the state-of-the-art methods.

The Gender Dimensions of Resource Conflicts in Ghana: Deconstructing the Male-Centric and Binary Outlook of Communal Conflicts

The literature on gender and conflicts in Africa is dominated by essentialised and narrow male-centric constructions of conflict and stereotypes of female victimhood which obscure alternative female-centric ideation and experiences on conflict and conflict resolution. Using interdisciplinary methodologies, and drawing in insights from anthropology and history, this article explores the nature of women’s constructions of and participation in community conflicts and what drives their participation. We do this by investigating the gendered nature of community conflicts and conflict resolution in eight communities that are experiencing conflict over chieftaincy, land use and resources. We show that issues that are of concern for women – for example disputes over water use or witchcraft accusations – are largely relegated to the background. Moreover, women are excluded from most aspects of conflict and conflict resolution, at both the local and state level. We argue for a re-examination of the normative gendered constructions of conflict in Ghana to include female-centric ideas of conflict and conflict resolution.

Socio-economic and Political Drivers of Renewable Natural Resource Conflicts among Crop Farmers in Southeast Nigeria

The natural resource conflicts happen when there is variation on how natural resources and related ecosystems should be managed, owned, allocated, used, and protected. However, most researches on resource conflicts among different users, could not see the primacy of looking into these conflicts from the angle of their socio-economic and political causes. This paper among other things sought the socio-economic and political triggers of renewable natural resources conflict in Southeastern parts of Nigeria. Data were collected from 300 crop farmers purposively selected from three States - Imo, Abia and Enugu, using structured questionnaire and oral interview. Percentage and mean were used to analyze the collected data. The renewable natural resources considered in the study area were water, crop land, forests, and fishers/marine resources among others. The socio-political drivers of renewable resources conflict includes demand induced scarcity (87.7%), environmental degradation (83.3%), migration of people (91.6%) and unclear rights (85.3%). The study found that to reduce the occurrence of natural resource conflicts, following measures should be in place; reducing vulnerability to resources scarcity (M=3.57), increased availability of scarce resources (M=3.60), discourage/stop degradation (M=2.50), good governance framework (M=3.36) and effective resource sharing agreement (M=3.56) among others. It is recommended to resolve the natural resource conflicts which can be achieved by equal distribution of resources, clear rights to resources and good land governance.