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12 Whitehead J. Dipl. & Int'l Rel. 11 (2011)
When Peacebuilding Meets the Plan: Natural Resource Governance and Post-Conflict Recovery

handle is hein.journals/whith12 and id is 11 raw text is: When Peacebuilding Meets the Plan: Natural Resource Governance and Post- Conflict Recovery by Sandra S. Nichols, Piiivi Lujala, and Carl Bruch Wars erupt for many reasons.t Political differences, an assassination, or declarations of autonomy may spark the violence that develops into a war. In the last sixty years, four out of ten intrastate conflicts have had a link to natural resources.1 Natural resources are linked to conflict in various ways: they can contribute to the outbreak of a conflict, sustain them, and undermine peacemaking efforts. For example, warring groups often use diverse sources of funding - including natural resources - to purchase arms and to house, feed, transport, and pay their troops. At least eighteen conflicts that have taken place since 1989 have been directly funded by the exploitation of natural resources.2 Populations living in regions rich in natural resources may feel that they would benefit from becoming autonomous, especially if revenues from their natural resource base are accruing to a far-away capital. Leaving isolated populations to struggle with the negative externalities from exploitation - such as contaminated land, water, air, and forests - without adequate compensation may create an environment ripe for conflict. In other places, and sometimes in combination with the above, inequitable distribution of land and water may breed grievances that motivate people to join rebel movements. Furthermore, resource revenues from high-value resources can support a dysfunctional state apparatus, fueling corruption and patronage networks and limiting peoples' chance to influence the political elite, creating grievances that can contribute to the outbreak of conflict. When natural resources have played a role in the beginning or continuation of a conflict, post-conflict peacebuilding needs to address the causes and legacy of the conflict, giving special attention to the issues related to natural resources. Furthermore, the abundance of certain natural resources, especially high-value natural resources, may make the path from conflict to peace more difficult. High- value resources can sustain corrupt regimes, provide incentives for crony capitalism, hinder economic development, and present income opportunities for rebel groups whose interests may be better served by returning to conflict. The fact that conflicts with a link to natural resources are more than twice as likely to relapse into conflict Sandra Nichols is a Senior Attorney at the Environmental La\ Institute. Piivi Lujala is a post-doctoral fellow in Economics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technolugy and an associate researcher at the Centre for the Stud) of Civil \Var at the Pcace Research Institute Oslo. Carl Bruch is a Senior Attorney and Co-Director of International Programs at the Environmental Law Institute. 11 The W'hitehead Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations

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