The Political Economy of Natural Resource Management
The fossil fuelled climate crisis is wreaking havoc throughout the world, armed conflict over resources has displaced tens of millions of people and the increasing polarisation of geopolitical contestation risks inflaming existing crises. Central to all of these issues are questions relating to the political economy of natural resource management. What are the roles of the state, market and civil society and how are they contested? How do geopolitics influence local contexts? What are the ideological underpinnings of approaches to natural resource management?
Natural resource management is often framed as a technical issue of ‘management’ according to specific academic silos and embedded assumptions. The ‘resource curse’ contends that natural resource endowments are often a key driver of armed conflict and poor economic performance, while ‘Dutch disease’ proposes that natural resource extraction can de-industrialise economies as currency appreciation makes manufacturing exports less competitive. In a deeply interconnected world, the depth of contestation and complexities relating to natural resource management demands inter-disciplinary investigation and intervention.
This course is designed to make sense of complexity, utilising an inter-disciplinary approach that not only uses different analytical lenses, but also examines the intersections between different fields. The course begins with examination of key theoretical and ideological underpinnings related to natural resource management, synthesising different academic fields beyond just economics and politics. This foundation is utilised to examine some of the most pressing contemporary global issues, with country and regional specific examples including from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Pacific.
Course Objectives
During the course, students will develop their skills relating to theoretical and applied understandings of natural resource management that can be utilised across a breadth of endeavours, from community organising to national economic policies.
Students can expect to cover topics including land rights, infrastructure, water governance, mining and more, with close examination of the roles of the state, market, civil society and international institutions.
Intended Audience
This course is designed for anyone seeking to better understand the complexities and contestations relating to natural resource management through an inter-disciplinary lens. It is suitable for students from varying academic and geographic backgrounds, with theory and case studies drawn from across continents.
Previous Knowledge
No prior knowledge of political economy or natural resource management is required. An interest in inter-disciplinary academia is beneficial.
Transferable Knowledge and Skills
Through the development of applied critical thinking and analytical skills, this course will be useful for people pursuing careers in the public, private and/or non-profit sectors, whether in policy, planning, research, advocacy or other roles. Diverse case studies will also enhance country and continent specific knowledge.
Mr Dustin Barter
Dustin is a Senior Research Fellow for the Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI and a John Monash Scholar. He has extensive experience working across the humanitarian, development, and peace sectors, primarily in Asia and East Africa, from working with dynamic activists to the global aid behemoths, synthesising research, teaching and practice. He specialises in intersectional analysis that embraces complexity. He recently submitted his PhD in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge, which examined aid agendas, activism and natural resource contestations in Cambodia and Myanmar.