Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict

by Michael T. Klare

From the oilfields of Saudi Arabia to the Nile delta, from the shipping lanes of the South China Sea to the pipelines of Central Asia, Resource Wars looks at the growing impact of resource scarcity on the military policies of nations.

International security expert Michael T. Klare argues that in the early decades of the new millennium, wars will be fought not over ideology but over access to dwindling supplies of precious natural commodities. The political divisions of the Cold War, Klare asserts, have given way to a global scramble for oil, natural gas, minerals, and water. And as armies throughout the world define resource security as a primary objective, widespread instability is bound to follow, especially in those areas where competition for essential materials overlaps with long-standing territorial and religious disputes. In this clarifying view, the recent explosive conflict between the United States and Islamic extremism stands revealed as the predictable consequence of consumer nations seeking to protect the vital resources they depend on.

A much-needed assessment of a changed world, Resource Wars is a compelling look at warfare in an era of rampant globalization and intense economic competition.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Economics, Environment, History, Military Fiction, Geography

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Michael T. Klare is a Five Colleges professor of Peace and World Security Studies, whose department is located at Hampshire College, defense correspondent of The Nation magazine, and author of Resource Wars and Blood and Oil: The Dangers and Consequences of America's Growing Petroleum Dependency (Metropolitan).

Klare also teaches at Amherst College, Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Klare also serves on the boards of directors of Human Rights Watch, and the Arms Control Association. He is a regular contributor to many publications including The Nation, TomDispatch, Mother Jones, and is a frequent columnist for Foreign Policy In Focus.

Reviews

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading it nearly two decades after it was written was interesting. I had to keep pausing to go check the stats and forecasts to see where they actually fell out years later. The forecasts for oil and water consumption were not far off, as was overall population growth pretty accurate. The history of the resources was fascinating, with water being the most so. While worst case scenarios haven't really happened some conflicts we've seen can be attributed to resources. The climate changes forecast as a result of global warming have been happening as he thought they would.

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was published in 2001.

It's 2021 that I got to read it, and the author's insights and projections on the battle for control of natural resources: oil and freshwater are spot on. The approximations and statistics he shares from various research results vary a little, but his take on military control, presence and "protection" of some of nations where these resources are is true, like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, the Amazon.

[DoctorM · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated--- the research dates from the mid-1990s, and the latest events treated by the book are in early 2000 ---but nonetheless interesting. It's a good introduction to the connections between non-renewable resources and interstate conflict. Klare discusses not just oil and gas, but also (and probably more importantly for the mid-21st century) water conflicts and the use of natural resources (timber, precious stones) to fund conflicts. Not a bad starting point for anyone interested in how depletion of resources exacerbates political and ethnic conflict.

[Gigi Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Resource Wars, the New Landscape of Global Conflict by Michael T. Klare supports what I believe is a two-perspective concept in human conflict behavior. While the Middle East is not the only places where the West, especially the United States, purchase its oil, oil itself is not the only sought after resource. Resource Wars brilliantly exposes specific geographical regions of the world under constant conflict for critical natural resources such as precious metals, water, and of course, oil.

Read the rest at: bookendchronicles.blogspot.com

[sologdin · Rating 2 out of 5]

somehow this text comes off as tedious, when it really shouldn't have been. author is a fine presenter of the subject matter otherwise.

[Hasta Fu]

Michael T. Klare's book "Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict" argues that future wars will be fought primarily over access to dwindling natural resources rather than ideology. It is inline with my view that economic consequences speaks louder than ideology. When a group of people is starving to death, faith and ideology doesn't really matter at that time, staying alive is.

Klare contends that in the early decades of the new millennium, competition for vital resources like oil, natural gas, minerals, and water will become the dominant cause of global conflicts. He suggests that the political divisions of the Cold War have given way to a worldwide scramble for these precious commodities. Of those which effect can be seen quicky is energy, which in this era translates to oil.

Klare's argues that resource security is becoming a primary objective for armies worldwide. And the areas where competition for essential materials overlaps with long-standing territorial and religious disputes are likely to experience widespread instability. Identity politics can be easily played in the territory to emphasize the differences and division.

The conflict between the United States and Islamic extremism can be seen as a consequence of consumer nations seeking to protect vital resources. This trend is not limited to the United States but extends to other major powers like China, Japan, and Russia. The stronger one country became, the bigger appetite to take control of beneficial production materials or facilities.

Klare recommends that American national security policy has been focusing on "oil field protection, the defense of maritime trade routes, and other aspects of resource security".

Water scarcity in Africa and some Middle East countries proved a historical problem which easily escalates into conflicts, both diplomatic and military. Tribes has been putting effort to take control of water body, fresh or salty, clean or contaminated. Nowadays it is a matter of nations. The South–North Water Transfer Project in China may be considered a successful project to tackle water scarcity, but with an enormous economic sacrifice and strong political will. This kind of project would probably not work if it engages different soverignty.

Klare's work provides a materialist perspective on international security affairs, emphasizing the industrial and economic dimensions of national security. While some critics argue that Klare may underestimate the potential for diplomatic, economic, and political solutions to resource conflicts, his book offers valuable insights into the geographic and historical factors that contribute to resource wars.

[Monica Meagher · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting to see a different side of resource shortages but I was disappointed with how the environmental effects were ignored. I did like the chapter about Internal Wars over Minerals and Timber. The final chapter mentioned a peaceful, global solution would be better than armed conflict- I would have appreciated a more thorough analysis of that rather than lists of military assets throughout the book.

[John Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread as part of my Water topic: it was his chapters on water that re-ignited my interest in the issues, and although its over ten years old, it is still relevant andf the various potential conflicts mentioned in the book are still with us in most cases, plus lots of others, of course.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information, but dated (published in 2001, pre-9/11). Most of the general concepts are already taught in general geopolitical courses. The details were informative and made the read worthwhile.

[C Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

An old book, but still an important one for anyone who wants to understand the resource-focused geopolitics of both the recent past and the near future.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat dated now (in a poignant piece of irony, the author says in the introduction that "At the time of this writing - early December 2001 - it appears that Osama bin Laden will soon be captured or killed.") And of course I'm writing this review in August of 2011, a few months after it actually finally happened.

However, the rest of Klare's forecasts have held up quite a bit better over the near-decade since this book came out, and it looks as if the wars over resources he predicts - primarily fossil fuels, but also metals, gems, and timber - are going to keep unfolding and shape a lot of global politics and warfare in the next couple of decades, unless something catastrophic like a pandemic throws humanity into an even worse predicament. Some other books written more recently, such as The Long Decline, paint supporting pictures of the future of a civilization built on the assumption of infinite supplies of resources that are actually all too finite.

This book would be well worth reading, despite being dated, if all it had to offer were the maps and tables, the appendix listing conflicts and the countries involved, and the bibliography.

[Nathaniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is badly dated, somewhat self-indulgent, and contains basically no information that isn't covered better by later books. The omission of resource politics in the United States (e.g. California, Arizona, and Colorado fighting over the increasingly finite amount of water in the Colorado River basin) is also a serious oversight. Overall, I can see why the professor for my International System class in 2004 assigned this book at the time (well, other than the fact that he appeared to know the author personally), but it's been badly superseded in the ten years since.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminds me of one thing: Mad Max. The author contends that increasing population levels and urbanization will result in future conflicts over the basic resources of life: water, arable land, oil, etc. Wars fought for increasing an empire will seem romantic compared with what's to come. Great stocking stuffer.

[Dallisonam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting and well researched book, though obviously a bit obsolete as policy type books tend to do that rather quickly. Even so, it is a very good analysis of international relations and a useful perspective on the thinking at a fixed point in time (namely ca. 1999).

[Kevin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not bad but I thought he was missing the huge factor of oil conflict. It was in the book of course but that needed its own book... which he later wrote. That next book was perhaps a little informative but to anybody that checks sources it was way to biased.

[Dominika Klekner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could be rated as very good. Contains all essential information needed. However, the book looks into several geostrategic areas, and thus the perspective, the depth of research and the resulting thoughts on the conflicts appear shallow/incomplete/not credible.

[John Kaufmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Klare talks about impending shortfalls in oil and other natural resources and the challenges it will pose for the international order. It's worth reading something by him, and this would be the one I recommend. I have read other stuff by Klare, but it seems repetitive.

[Patrick]

in addition to reviewing the coming oil shortage, Klare also describes the potential water shortage problem, which may be even more brutal...

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a shallow treatment of resource wars--especially those involving energy. If you are looking for a brief into to the topic, this isn't a bad one but it isn't anything special.

[Joe Wisniewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

They are probably right. It eventually is all going to be about water.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relevant

[Rob]

Fuck this garbage.

[!Tæmbuŝu]

KOBOBOOKS

[Athisya Anne N · Rating 3 out of 5]

Illuminating !!!

[Derek Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not exactly what you would call a page turner, but thorough, clear and informative. Important subject matter. I will read anything Klare writes.

[Mohamed · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eye-opener

[Steven Raszewski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really backed up by events so far.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my geography of conflict class