Resource Extraction Research Articles

Assessing the health and scenic quality of sandy beaches: A large-scale evaluation using expert judgement

Sandy beaches, essential components of coastal landscapes, are increasingly threatened by urbanization, resource extraction, and climate change, jeopardizing their ecological integrity and scenic value. This study assesses the health and scenic quality of 100 sandy beaches along the Uruguayan coast, influenced by the Ro de la Plata estuary, using the Coastal Scenery Evaluation System (CSES) and a dune integrity assessment as indicators of ecosystem health. The analysis identified urbanization as the primary driver of beach degradation, with the most urbanized beaches, particularly those in the inner and outer estuary macrozones, exhibiting the lowest scenic and ecological values. In contrast, beaches with greater dune integrity and lower human impact, especially those in the oceanic macrozone, demonstrated better scenic quality and ecological health. This study emphasizes the role of natural features, such as dunes and natural vegetation, in sustaining beach health, while stressing the urgent need for sustainable management practices to safeguard the ecological and cultural value of these fragile ecosystems. The findings offer critical insights for coastal governance, management, and conservation, advocating for the protection of less developed beaches and the restoration of degraded beaches through scientifically robust management plans. This approach also emphasizes the importance of inclusive decision-making, fostering active societal engagement to enhance long-term resilience and sustainability in areas threatened by coastal grabbing.

Rethinking user rights of profitable marine invasions: Lessons from the Norwegian Barents Snow Crab fishery

Profitable marine invasions can occur when a newly arrived invasive species not only negatively changes ecosystem characteristics but is also exploited as a valuable market commodity. Such species pit existing ecosystem production values against potential value paths as their presence instigates management decisions that may vary from favoring a conservative, status quo approach on one end to a more risk-loving, adaptive approach on the other. Despite commitments to environmental treaties for limiting spread, local interests may purposefully support growth of invasions for their benefit. Potential value paths will depend not only on the ecological changes in the natural capital supporting the profitable resource extraction but also the user rights developed to address the changing asset structure and productivity. Current economic thinking suggests that the stronger the user rights in addressing questions of exclusivity, security and duration, the higher the gains to the present value of expected benefits from the rights. We discuss how both scale and uncertainties regarding irreversible ecological value and productivity shifts may require refinement of this theory. We explore the Barents Sea Snow Crab (Chionoecetes opilio) fishery, with particular attention to the Norwegian approach to its management. The uncertain ecological impacts of this invasive species have led to international disputes and significant management challenges. Norway has implemented exclusionary policies by designating the crab as sedentary to limit foreign access, sparking conflicts over the Svalbard Treaty. These unilateral actions have led to fines, court cases, and diplomatic tensions. As the Snow Crab expands toward sensitive Arctic habitats, a broader governance approach is needed. We take a critical look at the exclusivity, security, and durability of property rights associated with the Norwegian Snow Crab fishery, assessing their inherent weaknesses and implications since the onset of the fishery in 2012. As there is a growing interest in developing profitable resource exploitation and fisheries for new, often invading species, the Norwegian Snow Crab fishery provides valuable lessons and guidance for governance and management of such resources, aiming to mitigate risks and foster economically viable and environmentally responsible practices.

Natural resource use, industrialization and climate change in Africa: Blueprints for sustainable regional development

Climate crisis continue to animate environmental policy debate and remains a fundamental global concern. While natural resources use and industrialization are main drivers of climate change especially in developing countries like Africa, previous empirical studies have failed to analyze the simultaneous effect of both on climate change. To close this gap, the current study investigates the relationship between natural resources use, industrialization and climate change in Africa. Specifically, this study analyzes the effect of natural resources rents and value added in manufacturing on carbon dioxide emissions. Addressing these issues is important, as the implications of natural resources extraction and industrial development on environmental sustainability cannot be underestimated. This paper is very relevant because of the limited research on comprehensive frameworks that integrate natural resources use with industrialization policies specific to Africa. Using data from 2005 to 2022 for 45 African countries obtained from the African Infrastructural and World Bank databases, and employing the Cross-Sectional Feasible Generalized Least Squares, Driscoll-Kraay effects, Dynamic Driscoll-Kraay effects and Panel Quantile on Quantile regression techniques, the empirical findings revealed that natural resources rents and industrialization adversely contribute to climate change in Africa. Quantitative results show that a 1% increase in natural resource rents increased carbon dioxide emissions by 0.000103% for both Feasible Generalized Least Squares and Driscoll-Kraay estimates and by 0.00813% for the Dynamic Driscoll-Kraay estimates. Furthermore, a 1% increase in value added in manufacturing led to a 0.377% increase in carbon dioxide emissions for both Feasible Generalized Least Squares and Driscoll-Kraay estimates and a 0.157% increase for Dynamic Driscoll-Kraay estimates. The result also shows that the effect of natural resource extraction and industrialization on climate change become negative at both the 25% quantile and 50% quantile. However, this turning point becomes nullified at the 75% and at 90% quantiles. Africa should adopt a green path to natural resource use and industrialization.

Environmental Conservation by Using Recycled Aggregates: Enhancing Sustainability in Road Construction

Every day, construction and demolition waste is generated worldwide. As the road business and traffic grow, construction materials have evolved to include more unorthodox features. Road construction and maintenance rely significantly on quarried aggregates, resulting in high resource extraction demands. There is a trend toward employing secondary (recycled) materials rather than primary (virgin) ones to address this. This transformation requires the use of a variety of secondary and tertiary components, including waste byproducts. Numerous studies have been conducted to study and analyze the suitability and practical application of recycled materials in the field. Some recycled materials have better qualities than others, proving satisfactory performance in real-world circumstances. However, concerns about their incorporation persist, based on laboratory research and field observations. These concerns emphasize the necessity for more in-depth research to address potential difficulties. It is claimed that using recycled and tertiary materials in road construction can greatly help to save natural resources. This study predicts the attributes of selected materials, such as gradation, water absorption, maximum dry density, impact value, flakiness, and elongation, to establish their appropriateness for the production of Granular Sub-base (GSB) and Wet Mix Macadam (WMM).

Spatial-Temporal Changes in Ecosystem Service Value and Its Overlap with Coal Mining Intensity in the Yellow River Basin, China, During 2000–2030

Understanding the ecosystem services and their interaction with coal resource development is crucial for formulating sustainable development policies. In this study, we focused on the Yellow River Basin, characterized by both rich coal resources and ecological fragility. The key findings are that (1) the ecosystem service value (ESV) in the Yellow River Basin exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity during 2000–2030, decreasing from the southeast to northwest, and decreasing the most notably in the southern part of the upper reaches of the river basin; (2) the high-high clustering area of the ESV shifted from the upper-middle reaches in 2000 to the middle-lower reaches in 2020, while the low-low clustering area remained within Inner Mongolia. By 2030, the high-high clustering area is expected to stabilize in southern Shaanxi Province, and the low-low area will potentially spread eastward; (3) the overall ESV is low, and it experienced a significant decline from 2000 to 2020, with water supply emerging as a major limiting factor, although some policy-supported counties had better ecological service values and trends. (4) From 2000 to 2020, the coal mining intensity (CMI) was concentrated in the upper and middle reaches, particularly at the junctions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia, and the pattern remained stable, but local areas experienced increased mining intensity; (5) the overlap of the CMI and ESV primarily exhibited a low-high clustering pattern in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River Basin and eastern Ordos City, and a high-high clustering pattern in the middle reaches of the basin in Shanxi Province, which remained stable and slightly expanded from 2000 to 2030; (6) the trade-off between the ecosystem services in the overlap area intensified, especially between the provisioning and support services, and was significantly impacted by the coal mining activities. The findings indicate that the area that overlaps with the coal mining area in the Yellow River Basin has expanded and has had an increasing negative impact on the ESV. It is also essential to address the trade-offs between the provisioning and support services and to implement ecological restoration measures to mitigate the risk of ESV loss. Future efforts should focus on the regions where the CMI and ESV overlap and have poor coordination and the adverse effects of resource extraction on ecosystem services are becoming more pronounced. The results of this study demonstrate that spatial overlap analysis is effective in identifying the hotspots and provides a foundation for developing sustainable and high-quality policies for ecologically fragile basins.

Freshwater salinisation: unravelling causes, adaptive mechanisms, ecological impacts, and management strategies.

Freshwater salinisation is a growing problem worldwide, affecting surface and groundwater resources. Compared with other global environmental issues, freshwater salinisation has been studied extensively in North America, Australia, and Europe but less so in South America, Asia, and Africa. Both the natural and anthropogenic sources can contribute for freshwater salinisation, through the concentration of dissolved salts in water rising above its normal levels. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of the causes of freshwater salinisation, the impacts on freshwater communities and ecosystem functions, the adaptive mechanisms for survival in an increasingly saline environment, and the management strategies available to control freshwater salinisation. Many human activities contribute to freshwater salinisation, including road salt use, agricultural practices, resource extraction, reservoir construction, and climate change. Aquatic organisms have evolved mechanisms to survive in increasingly saline environments, but excessive salinity can lead to mortality and non-lethal effects. Such effects can have cascading impacts on the structure and function of aquatic communities and ecosystem services. Therefore, monitoring programmes and chemical fingerprinting are needed to identify highly salinised areas, determine how various human activities contribute to freshwater salinisation, and implement management strategies. Furthermore, current research on freshwater salinisation has been limited to a few regions of the world. It is essential to expand the research further into exploring the impacts of salinisation on freshwater resources in unexplored geographic areas of the world that are mainly impacted by climate change scenarios.

Sustainable Development in Green Mining and Geotechnical Engineering—An Overview

The sustainable development of green mining and geotechnical engineering has become a crucial area of study in light of the increasing global efforts toward environmental conservation and responsible resource extraction [...]

What Does Green Logistics Bring to the Circular Economy? An Exploratory Study to Connect the Dots

The world population has increased, and consumerist trends have intensified the need for initiatives to minimize industrial activities' environmental and social impacts. Companies and governments are increasingly recognizing the relevance of these initiatives, yet many firms still follow resource extraction models that hinder sustainability efforts. While previous studies have explored the link between green logistics and the circular economy, gaps remain in understanding how these practices can be leveraged to achieve a competitive advantage in different international contexts. This research aims to fill these gaps by exploring the role of green logistics in promoting the circular economy, using a quantitative approach based on Brazilian and Portuguese companies. The study, therefore, focuses on how logistics practices can support the adoption of circular economy initiatives, minimize environmental impacts, and contribute to competitive advantage. The findings from linear regression analysis indicate that green logistics significantly enhances the implementation of circular economy practices, providing both environmental benefits and strategic advantages in the market. This empirical evidence advances the literature by demonstrating that green logistics is not only crucial for circular economy adoption but also for gaining a competitive edge. Our insights are particularly valuable for academia, businesses, and policymakers seeking to promote sustainable practices that are both environmentally responsible and economically viable.

Modeling Land Use and Land Cover Changes and Its Atmospheric Pollutant Concentration in the Coal Mining Area of Ramgarh District of Jharkhand, India, Using Multi‐Layer Perceptron Neural Networks (MLPNN)

ABSTRACTLand use refers to anthropogenic phenomena in the natural environment; humans utilize land resources for their developmental activities. On the other hand, the ecosystems of land use and land cover alter the natural world—the artificial infrastructure leads toward a busted concrete jungle instead of a green footprint. The global green footprint is continually shrinking owing to overutilization of natural resources. The present research examines the land use pattern that changes from 1990 to 2021 and projected projections for 2041 and 2061 in the Ramgarh District. The study also focuses on how artificial modifications alter the concentration level of pollutants in the atmosphere. The Landsat data utilized for 1990, 2000, 2011, and 2021 were incorporated into the LULC map using supervised classification and for analysis of future predictions for 2041 and 2061 using an ANN‐based on MLPNNs (multi‐layer perceptron neural networks) for Ramgarh District. It also focuses on the trend and patterns of atmospheric pollutants from data using NASA‐GIOVANNI MERRA‐2. The current study reveals that in 1990, water bodies, coal mining, vegetation, built‐up, agriculture, and barren land were 3.01%, 2.24%, 54.07%, 3.64%, 36.85%, and 0.18 %. However, in 2021, water bodies decreased to 1.61%, vegetation to 45.47%, barren land to 0.65%, and an increasing tendency was observed in built‐up areas to 6.65%, coal mining to 2.43%, and farmland to 43.19%. A significant trend in atmospheric pollutants, such as CO2, SO2, SO4, NO2, and dust, is observed in the Ramgarh district. The importance of this study is to attain the maximum level of environmental sustainability; it would also encourage the local level planning fitted during the extraction of natural resources.

ESTIMATION OF THE CLEANING TIME OF THE BOTTOM-HOLE ZONE OF WELLS IN CONDITIONS OF UNCERTAINTY

The aim of the work is to analyze changes in the maximum optimal flow rates of wells operating various groups of productive formations of the Volga-Ural oil and gas province under conditions of uncertainty of geological and field data. The relevance of the work is due to the deterioration of the structure of residual oil reserves and the need for the most efficient extraction of liquid hydrocarbon resources, optimization of design methods for various treatments of the bottomhole formation zone. Using geological and statistical modeling systems, the timing of cleaning the bottomhole zones of wells from drilling products was determined at the time they reached their maximum optimal flow rate in conditions of deposits confined to various stratigraphic horizons, and appropriate models of changes in productivity coefficients were constructed. The factors influencing the recovery time of the real properties of the reservoir at the point of opening it by the well, which, among other things, determines the profitability of the process of selecting residual oil reserves, have been established. Among them, the most relevant and necessary for the implementation of an integrated approach to computer support procedures for the development of oil fields are the productivity of wells, fracturing of formations, their proximity to a particular tectonic-stratigraphic complex, geological, physical and physico-chemical properties of formations and their saturating fluids. For the deposits of the Famensk tier of deposits of the Volga-Ural oil and gas province, a multiple decrease in the time of removal of reaction products after hydrochloric acid exposure at objects with low fracturing has been established. At the same time, additional processing of the bottomhole formation zone within areas with high drilling density does not affect the total cleaning time of the bottomhole zone of wells. Stimulation of the removal of drilling mud filtrate and additional products of formation reactions by injection of hydrochloric acid compositions under certain conditions can lead to a decrease in the actual productivity of wells due to the introduction of less developed and dead-end cracks into the drainage process. The existence of the specifics of the procedure for cleaning the bottomhole formation zone depending on the geological and physical parameters of productive formations is substantiated and various patterns of changes in the productivity coefficient depending on the time of wells reaching the maximum optimal flow rate are revealed. The results obtained make it possible to make informed technological decisions to improve the efficiency of oil production, including in conditions of uncertainty, which may be caused by the lack of the necessary volume of hydrodynamic studies of wells.

Extraction/Exclusion: Beyond Binaries of Exclusion and Inclusion in Natural Resource Extraction

Extraction/Exclusion: Beyond Binaries of Exclusion and Inclusion in Natural Resource Extraction

The concept of big data and predictive analytics in reservoir engineering: The future of dynamic reservoir models

Reservoir engineering is a critical discipline in the oil and gas industry, aimed at optimizing the extraction and management of subsurface resources. Traditionally, reservoir models have relied on static data and conventional simulation methods, which often fall short in capturing the dynamic complexities of reservoirs. With the advent of big data and predictive analytics, there is a significant opportunity to revolutionize reservoir modeling by integrating real-time data for continuous updates and more accurate predictions. This review introduces a theoretical exploration of how big data and predictive analytics can transform dynamic reservoir models, highlighting their potential to improve reservoir management and hydrocarbon recovery. Big data technologies enable the collection, storage, and processing of vast amounts of structured and unstructured data from multiple sources, including well logs, seismic surveys, drilling operations, and production data. Predictive analytics, through machine learning and statistical techniques, can extract actionable insights from these datasets to predict reservoir behavior, enhance decision-making, and optimize production strategies. This integration facilitates real-time monitoring and adaptive reservoir management, allowing engineers to respond to changing reservoir conditions and uncertainties more effectively. The review further explores the implications of big data-driven predictive models for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery techniques, such as water flooding and gas injection. By automating data processing and integrating real-time field data, predictive analytics can improve the accuracy of reservoir simulations, reduce downtime, and increase operational efficiency. Ultimately, the future of dynamic reservoir modeling lies in the seamless integration of big data and predictive analytics, providing a pathway to smarter, more sustainable resource management and maximized recovery factors in increasingly complex reservoir environments. Keywords: Big Data, Predictive Analytics, Reservoir Engineering, Dynamic Reservoir, Models.

Estimating the impacts of economic globalization and natural resources on ecological footprints within the N-shaped EKC in the Next 11 economies

The economic development of N-11 countries has been significantly influenced by the contributions of natural resources (NAT) and economic globalization (EG). These countries have been facing drastic environmental problems for several years. Hence, it is imperative to ascertain the environmental ramifications of natural resource extraction activities in the N-11 nations. In doing so, this study examines the impact of gross domestic product (GDP), EG, and NAT on ecological footprints (EF) within the time frame of 1971 to 2022 in the group of N-11 countries. After verifying the cross-sectional dependence, this work found the integration of all variables at first difference. To provide short and long run econometric results; this study utilizes cross sectional autoregressive distributed lag (CS-ARDL). The findings indicate that the presence of NAT rent has a detrimental impact (0.03%) on the ecological quality within the N-11 nations. Moreover, it can be argued that both EG and GDP exhibit environmentally sustainable characteristics over an extended period by (0.03% and − 3.12%) respectively. This study does not provide evidence for the presence of an N-shaped Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in the N-11 nations. Based on the findings, a policy recommendation is proposed for the nations in question. These countries must immediately implement and enforce robust environmental laws while fostering a heightened sense of environmental consciousness. It is imperative for emerging economies to increase their investments to explore and adopt efficient technologies in various economic sectors, including mining.

Closed-Loop Process of Extracting and Separating Zinc Impurities from Industrial Cobalt Products—Pilot Test Study

The cobalt-containing products of an enterprise were selected as the object of this study. The separation effect of Cyanex 272 on Zn and Co was studied through a pilot test. The results showed that Cyanex 272 had a high extraction rate for Zn at pH 3–3.4, up to 99.8%. The extracted Zn2+ was enriched in the organic phase, and the Zn2+ in the organic phase was extracted back into the aqueous phase in the stripping stage by adding strong acid. Addition amounts of strong acid of 50 g·L−1, 80 g·L−1, and 100 g·L−1 were set. The results showed that the addition amounts of 80 g·L−1 and 100 g·L−1 could significantly reduce the pH of the back-extraction solution and effectively enrich Zn2+ in the solution. There was a large amount of Zn2+ in the back-extraction solution, which could be used twice to prepare zinc carbonate products through neutralization and precipitation. By comparing the extraction effect, economic cost, and resource loss under different strong acid addition amounts, it was found that the 80 g·L−1 strong acid addition amount was more suitable for the actual production process. This study provides data support and practical evidence for the selection of industrial extraction process parameters for Zn2+ separation in actual cobalt products.

Supercritical CO2-driven intersections of multi-well fracturing fracture network and induced microseismic events in naturally fractured reservoir

PurposeSupercritical CO2 (SC–CO2) fracturing is a potential technology that creates a complex fracturing fracture network to improve reservoir permeability. SC–CO2-driven intersections of the fracturing fracture network are influenced by some key factors, including the disturbances generated form natural fractures, adjacent multi-wells and adjacent fractures, which increase the challenges in evaluation, control and optimization of the SC–CO2 fracturing fracture networks. If the evaluation of the fracture network is not accurate and effective, the risk of oil and gas development will increase due to the microseismicity induced by multi-well SC–CO2 fracturing, which makes it challenging to control the on-site engineering practices.Design/methodology/approachThe numerical models considering the thermal-hydro-mechanical coupling effect in multi-well SC–CO2 fracturing were established, and the typical cases considering naturally fracture and multi-wells were proposed to investigate the intersections and connections of fracturing fracture network, shear stress shadows and induced microseismic events. The quantitative results from the typical cases, such as fracture length, volume, fluid rate, pore pressure and the maximum and accumulated magnitudes of induced microseismic events, were derived.FindingsIn naturally fractured reservoirs, SC–CO2 fracturing fractures will deflect and propagate along the natural fractures, eventually intersect and connect with fractures from other wells. The quantitative results indicate that SC–CO2 fracturing in naturally fractured reservoirs produces larger fractures than the slick water as fracturing fluid, due to the ability of SC–CO2 to connect macroscopic and microscopic fractures. Compared with slick water fracturing, SC–CO2 fracturing can increase the length of fractures, but it will not increase microseismic events; therefore, SC–CO2 fracturing can improve fracturing efficiency and increase productivity, but it may not simultaneously lead to additional microseismic events.Originality/valueThe results of this study on the multi-well SC–CO2 fracturing may provide references for the fracturing design of deep oil and gas resource extraction, and provide some beneficial supports for the induced microseismic event disasters, promoting the next step of engineering application of multi-well SC–CO2 fracturing.

Effects of bear endozoochory on germination and dispersal of huckleberry in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Berries are a staple of bear diets during late summer and fall in the southern Rocky Mountains, enabling bears to build up fat reserves and prepare to enter torpor during winter. In turn, bears can benefit fruiting shrubs through dispersal of their seeds. Bears are highly mobile species and seed passage through their guts (endozoochory) can influence seed germination in three ways: deinhibition (removal of germination inhibiting compounds), scarification (mechanical or chemical alteration) and fertilization (enhancement of germination from increased nutrients). We conducted a germination experiment to assess the ways each mechanism of bear endozoochory affects germination success of huckleberry (Vaccinium membranaceum.) in the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. The potential for bears to act as long-distance seed dispersers was also investigated, using a combination of available literature on bear gut retention times and movement data of 74 GPS radio-collared grizzly bears. Deinhibition had a positive significant impact (28.5% germination for the Seeds from Berry treatment compared to 0.2% for Whole Berry at 60 days), while scarification and fertilization did not have detectable positive effects on huckleberry germination success. These results suggest that the removing germination-inhibiting compounds in berry pulp is the primary mechanism through which endozoochory can increase germination in huckleberry seed. We estimated that 50% of the seeds defecated by bears in the region are dispersed 1.1 km away from feeding places (and up to 7 km). The surfaces covered by the seed shadow was up to 149.6 km2, demonstrating that bears can act as effective vectors of seeds over long distances. Endozoochory bolsters the germination success of seeds from fruiting shrubs, and enables seeds to spread to new locations using bears as dispersal agents. Development, resource extraction, and climate change may disrupt the beneficial relationship between bears and huckleberries, where huckleberries help bears gain fat, and bears help spread huckleberry seeds-a process that may become increasingly important as climate change alters habitats.

Enhancing Oil and Gas Exploration and Development: The Role of Remote Sensing

The oil and gas industry are getting weaker in terms of exploration and development; it demands a new generation of game-changing solutions as far as resource extraction is concerned with environmental footprints. Remote sensing technology has become an essential facilitator in this mission by giving detailed spatial data and information to support decisions. This article looks at the diverse ways in which remote sensing is used to contribute to oil and gas exploration, from geological mapping and resource assessment through environmental monitoring to regulatory compliance. Using satellite, airborne and geophysical data to identify the best drilling locations, conduct hydrocarbon potential assessment and monitor any environmental consequences is possible with modern technology its need for ground surveys and exploratory drilling. Remote sensing is also playing a key role in exploration activity and EOR by monitoring surface deformation. In the end, use of remote sensing does more than just make operations easier and lowers operational costs in the oil and gas industry and supports environmentally and risk mitigation. Keywords: Oil and Gas Exploration, Geological Mapping, Environmental Monitoring, Drilling Optimization, Remote sensing

A Planetary Boundary for Mineral, Metal, and Fossil Resource Extraction Rates: How Much Primary Materials Can a Circular Economy Extract?

Resource consumption is expected to further increase in the next decades. A circular economy could decrease the environmental impact of this resource consumption by minimizing the primary raw materials consumption and minimizing emissions that render materials inaccessible for further use. However, such a circular economy will still have primary raw material inflows, due to population growth, stock expansion, energy transition, and inevitable dissipation. The potential magnitude of such primary raw material inflows in a circular economy remains unclear. To address this uncertainty, the planetary boundary framework, which defines absolute limits on resource and emission flows, could be utilized. Although this framework incorporates aspects of biomass, water, and land use, mineral, metal, and fossil resources are not included. This study provides a principle for a planetary boundary for these three resources, based on the net accessibility rate and an allocated share of the accessible resource stock in the ecosphere. Inter- and intragenerational equality are crucial for determining this allocated share and for quantifying a sustainable rate of resource extraction in (an economy transitioning toward) a circular economy. Next steps to operationalize this principle provide further guidance to determine the safe operating space for mineral, metal, and fossil resource extraction.

Impact of natural resource rents on global trade dynamics in RCEP: Economic and geopolitical interdependencies

This research analyzes the impact of natural resource revenues on global economic trends in the RCEP countries, emphasizing the importance of resource exploitation in the financial development process. The work explores complex interdependencies between resource extraction, geopolitical risk, economic environment, and trade relationships. Energy efficiency, geopolitical risk, and GDP are the control variables. These findings highlight the importance of natural resource rents, GDP, geopolitical risk, and energy conservation on the trade structure of the RCEP trading partners. Quantile regression studies show the negative effect of oil revenues on world trade, thus providing evidence of the multifaceted link between natural resource earnings and trade outcomes. The findings underscore the significance of policymakers and businesses understanding these interrelated links and their implications for global trade relations. The report offers policy directions for RCEP countries to foster sustainable economic development and enhance export competitiveness. These recommendations aim to further the resource sector's growth, financial infrastructure, and managing geopolitical risks.

Post-Extractivist Horizons in Latin America: Between Utopias and Struggles for Re-Existence Against Neo-Extractivism

The triumph of neoliberal globalisation has been presented as the end of history, with no viable alternatives available. In Latin America, however, the structural adjustment programmes imposed by international financial institutions and the increased role of transnational corporations were resisted by social and popular movements that eventually translated into progressive politics and policies. Nevertheless, despite anti-capitalist and pro-environment rhetoric, extraction of natural resources has continued to expand under progressive governments, with devastating effects on environmental justice and Indigenous peoples’ rights. Focusing on socio-territorial struggles for re-existence in Bolivia through the cases of peasant struggle in Tariquía and the establishment of the National Coordinator for the Defence of Indigenous Territories and Protected Areas (CONTIOCAP), we investigate how Indigenous and peasant organisations resist extractive projects and organise collective life in alternative ways. We show how social actors, especially women, defend, propose and imagine post-extractivist alternatives as a societal horizon – both utopian and possible – to the current socio-ecological crisis, in a context of disillusionment with the government’s rhetoric of vivir bien as a state-led ecological and Indigenous policy. We argue that by defending life, women try to heal the human and more-than-human relationality in the territories impacted by progressive neo-extractivism.