Democratic Republic of the Congo), Asia (Philippines,
Afghanistan), and South America (Columbia, Bolivia)
are evidence of these issues.
Uneven Distribution Pathway
Another potential pathway to conflict, related to
natural resources, deals with the uneven distribution
of these resources. Minerals are an obvious example
because of highly uneven global distribution. This un-
even global distribution is likewise evident from oil
exporting to oil importing nations. High value natural
resources have long been a contributor to conflict, and
rare earth minerals (e.g., lithium, gallium) are emerg-
ing as having global strategic value because of use in
green technologies (e.g., wind turbines, solar panels),
electronics, and modern weapon systems. A recent
AEPI-sponsored study calls for the United States and
allies, to become more involved in nations (e.g., South
Africa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia,
Zimbabwe, and Namibia) where critical minerals are
mined. One group of strategic minerals – chromium,
manganese, cobalt, uranium, and platinum – is large-
ly mined from southern African nations. The study
recommends developing strategic partnerships and
providing assistance to mining communities (Burgess
2010). It suggests an internationally proactive ap-
proach, working with institutions in nation-states, to
address one of these key pathways between natural
resources and conflict.
Water is another “have” and “have not” concern,
with many populations growing rapidly in water
scarce areas, such as the Middle East and U.S. South-
west. These populations have a growing dependence
on importing water resources. Water resources can
be imported as embedded water (e.g., water used in