Resource Scarcity and Conflict: An Economic Analysis

As time passes renewable resource scarcities are becoming more common throughout the world. There is increasing evidence that these scarcities are a causal factor in civil unrest and violent conflict. Wepresent a simple model of renewable resource dynamics, population dynamics and conflict. Conflict is triggered by per capita resource scarcity. We examine the role and nature of conflict on the bioeconomic system. We find that conflict isNature’s wayof protecting vital renewableresources fromhuman exploitation. Conflict, as modeled, increases the death rate of the human population, damages the resource, and diverts resources away fromharvesting natural the resource. Theseeffects speed the return to a peaceful steady state. On the policy front we f ind that commonly advocated policies such as technical innovation which enhance resource growth or the systemresources carrying capacity are dangerous in that they heighten system vulnera-bility to conflict. Birth control,however, is found to be a stabilizing factor which reduc