Article published by the New Security Beat, March 2025.
As 2025 progresses, the governance of natural resources is becoming increasingly entangled with global conflicts and cooperation efforts. The Environmental Peacebuilding Association’s annual roundtable underscored the urgency of addressing governance gaps, as resource competition intensifies and intersects with economic and political stability worldwide. The growing demand for critical minerals, such as lithium and manganese, has transformed them into strategic assets in geopolitical negotiations, as exemplified by a high-stakes deal involving Ukrainian mineral reserves.
Governance Gaps and Their Consequences:
Effective governance mechanisms help regulate resource use and mitigate environmental and social harm. However, their absence exacerbates tensions, as seen in Colombia and Afghanistan. In Colombia, decades of conflict were closely tied to land access and natural resource control. Bram Ebus, an expert on crime and environmental conflict, highlighted how the dismantling of FARC left the Amazon vulnerable to illegal loggers and armed groups. These non-state actors manipulate deforestation levels to pressure the government, as seen during COP16 in Calí. The Amazon, he warns, is now a “weapon of war,” with both criminal and state actors vying for control over its valuable resources.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan faces a different governance challenge with the Qosh Tepa Canal, a Taliban-led project diverting water from the Amu Darya River. This move aims to address domestic agricultural needs but risks reducing water availability in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, potentially igniting regional tensions. Erika Weinthal, President of the Environmental Peacebuilding Association, emphasized that international water treaties are often assumed to be static, yet they must evolve as climate change and new water demands alter existing dynamics. The neglect of Afghanistan in current treaties only compounds future disputes.
Critical Minerals and Global Competition:
The competition for critical minerals is reshaping international relations, particularly between China and the U.S. Wilson Centre Global Fellow Jojo Nem Singh noted that resource access restrictions are influencing “the scope, the pathway, and the pace of the global energy transition.” As demand surges, both state and non-state actors—including private corporations and artisanal miners—are vying for control over these valuable resources, often at the expense of local communities. In Bolivia, for instance, mining conflicts have arisen despite the country’s relatively low export levels, highlighting widespread governance failures in ensuring social and environmental protections.
To address these challenges, mineral recycling presents an opportunity to reduce reliance on extraction. However, the development of a robust recycling supply chain faces significant infrastructural hurdles. Nem Singh stressed that prioritizing recycling fosters market growth but also noted the reality of the energy transition: “Saying that one is better than the other is kind of missing the point.” Mining remains essential, making strong governance frameworks critical to mitigating its adverse effects.
The Way Forward:
The examples of Colombia, Afghanistan, and the global minerals market illustrate a common theme: governance deficiencies leave resources vulnerable to exploitation and conflict. Addressing these gaps requires adaptable policies that balance economic needs with environmental and social sustainability. Without such mechanisms, resource competition will continue fuelling instability, reinforcing the urgent need for proactive and inclusive governance solutions.
This is based on the extracts from the article written by Angus Soderberg, March 2025. To read the complete article, follow the link here.
See below for our coverage on similar topics:
- The Caspian Sea Region: a renewable hub for European energy security?
- The Global Scramble to Secure Critical Minerals: Geopolitical, Ecological and Planetary Risks
- Solar Power and Environmental Peacebuilding in South-central Somalia