Resource security
Natural resources, distributed unevenly across the world. Transfers are required from areas of
surplus to areas of shortage – supply and demand.
Gulf/Iraqi War – rooted in supply and demand, resource conflict from UK
Resource – any aspect of the natural environment that can be used to meet human needs
Resource security – the ability of a country to safeguard a reliable and sustainable flow of resources
to maintain the living standards of its population, whilst ensuring ongoing economic and social
development
Stock resources – non-renewable resources which can be permanently expended. Their quantity is
expressed in absolute amounts rather than rates, for example oil. Usually taken millions of years to
form, finite
Flow resources – resources that are renewable and can be replaced, examples include fresh water
and timber. They are commonly expressed in terms of the annual rates at which they are
regenerated. Can be naturally renewed within a sufficiently short time
Critical flow resources – flows that are only renewable if human use remains at or below their
capacity to reproduce or regenerate.
2 examples of stock/non-renewable resource:
- Oil
- Coal
2 examples of flow/renewable energy resource:
- Timber
- Freshwater
Finite – limited supply of something
A critical renewable resource is only renewable if human use is at or below the capacity to
regenerate, a non-critical renewable resource is not dependant on human activity
Some renewable resources are described as critical as they can deplete from overuses e.g. forests
Resource management – controlling exploitation and use of resources in relation to associated
economic and environmental costs
,Sustainable development – controlled system of resource management to ensure current level of
exploitation does not compromise the ability of suture generations to meet their needs These are
important in resource exploitation as they include managing resource use to prevent exploitation
Stock Resources – non-renewable resources which have taken millions of years to form, in finite
supply, absolute amounts
Measured reserve – part of a mineral resource for which quantity, grad, quality, densities amd
physical characteristics are so well established they can be estimated with confidence
Indicated reserve – part of mineral resource for which quantity, grade, quality, densities and
physical characteristics can be estimated with a level of confidence sufficient to allow further
evaluation of the economic viability pf the resource
Inferred resource – part of a mineral resource for which quantity, grade, quality can only be
estimated on the basis of limited geological sampling
Possible resource – estimated based on broad geological knowledge of the existence of mostly
undiscovered resorts, with an expectation they may be economically viable in the long term. Less
confidence than inferred resources, longer timeline for possible future production
Hypothetical possible resource – undiscovered materials that are reasonably expected it exist in
known mining regions under known geological conditions
Speculative possible resource – undiscovered materials that may occur in known types of deposits
in
,geological settings where no previous discoveries have yet been made Least known could be
speculative as they may occur
Proven resources claim to have a 90% recovery rate
Measured – proven most confident
Indicated – probable
Inferred – possible least confident
Cycle of Resource Development
Physical and geopolitical risks
Exploration – the process of searching an area with
the intention of finding and mapping natural resources
, Resource Frontier
A resource frontier is a newly colonised region, where resources have been discovered and brought
into production for the first time.
Friedman’s core periphery model suggests a
differential pattern of development based on a
core region of a country, which attracts all the
wealth and investments because of its
advantageous location and existing resources.
Core area – development starts, surrounding
areas start to benefit
Periphery – remains largely undeveloped, filing
to attracted investment and growth, behind in
standards of living and other development
indicators. Within the periphery, it is possible
that resources such as minerals or fossil fuels will
be discovered, prompting investment in the
area, creating jobs.
Social conditions in resource frontiers may still
be poorly developed but economically the region experiences rapid growth with an influx of
workers.
In the UK, Scotland could have been seen as a peripheral area to the core in southeast England. The
development of the North Sea oil reserves in 1980s saw Scotland become a resource frontier with a
boom in the economy.
Transportation problems of crude oil in the Artic region of North Alaska with the Trans-Alaskan oil
pipeline caused Alaska to become a resource frontier in the USA.
Globally, depletion of resources in ‘core’ areas of high income countries prompts a search for
resources elsewhere. The combination of globalisation and increasing influence of energy and
mining TNCs led to the discovery of many new oil and gas reserves in low income countries. Chad
and South Sudan have become ‘resource frontiers’ on a global scale.
Natural resources, distributed unevenly across the world. Transfers are required from areas of
surplus to areas of shortage – supply and demand.
Gulf/Iraqi War – rooted in supply and demand, resource conflict from UK
Resource – any aspect of the natural environment that can be used to meet human needs
Resource security – the ability of a country to safeguard a reliable and sustainable flow of resources
to maintain the living standards of its population, whilst ensuring ongoing economic and social
development
Stock resources – non-renewable resources which can be permanently expended. Their quantity is
expressed in absolute amounts rather than rates, for example oil. Usually taken millions of years to
form, finite
Flow resources – resources that are renewable and can be replaced, examples include fresh water
and timber. They are commonly expressed in terms of the annual rates at which they are
regenerated. Can be naturally renewed within a sufficiently short time
Critical flow resources – flows that are only renewable if human use remains at or below their
capacity to reproduce or regenerate.
2 examples of stock/non-renewable resource:
- Oil
- Coal
2 examples of flow/renewable energy resource:
- Timber
- Freshwater
Finite – limited supply of something
A critical renewable resource is only renewable if human use is at or below the capacity to
regenerate, a non-critical renewable resource is not dependant on human activity
Some renewable resources are described as critical as they can deplete from overuses e.g. forests
Resource management – controlling exploitation and use of resources in relation to associated
economic and environmental costs
,Sustainable development – controlled system of resource management to ensure current level of
exploitation does not compromise the ability of suture generations to meet their needs These are
important in resource exploitation as they include managing resource use to prevent exploitation
Stock Resources – non-renewable resources which have taken millions of years to form, in finite
supply, absolute amounts
Measured reserve – part of a mineral resource for which quantity, grad, quality, densities amd
physical characteristics are so well established they can be estimated with confidence
Indicated reserve – part of mineral resource for which quantity, grade, quality, densities and
physical characteristics can be estimated with a level of confidence sufficient to allow further
evaluation of the economic viability pf the resource
Inferred resource – part of a mineral resource for which quantity, grade, quality can only be
estimated on the basis of limited geological sampling
Possible resource – estimated based on broad geological knowledge of the existence of mostly
undiscovered resorts, with an expectation they may be economically viable in the long term. Less
confidence than inferred resources, longer timeline for possible future production
Hypothetical possible resource – undiscovered materials that are reasonably expected it exist in
known mining regions under known geological conditions
Speculative possible resource – undiscovered materials that may occur in known types of deposits
in
,geological settings where no previous discoveries have yet been made Least known could be
speculative as they may occur
Proven resources claim to have a 90% recovery rate
Measured – proven most confident
Indicated – probable
Inferred – possible least confident
Cycle of Resource Development
Physical and geopolitical risks
Exploration – the process of searching an area with
the intention of finding and mapping natural resources
, Resource Frontier
A resource frontier is a newly colonised region, where resources have been discovered and brought
into production for the first time.
Friedman’s core periphery model suggests a
differential pattern of development based on a
core region of a country, which attracts all the
wealth and investments because of its
advantageous location and existing resources.
Core area – development starts, surrounding
areas start to benefit
Periphery – remains largely undeveloped, filing
to attracted investment and growth, behind in
standards of living and other development
indicators. Within the periphery, it is possible
that resources such as minerals or fossil fuels will
be discovered, prompting investment in the
area, creating jobs.
Social conditions in resource frontiers may still
be poorly developed but economically the region experiences rapid growth with an influx of
workers.
In the UK, Scotland could have been seen as a peripheral area to the core in southeast England. The
development of the North Sea oil reserves in 1980s saw Scotland become a resource frontier with a
boom in the economy.
Transportation problems of crude oil in the Artic region of North Alaska with the Trans-Alaskan oil
pipeline caused Alaska to become a resource frontier in the USA.
Globally, depletion of resources in ‘core’ areas of high income countries prompts a search for
resources elsewhere. The combination of globalisation and increasing influence of energy and
mining TNCs led to the discovery of many new oil and gas reserves in low income countries. Chad
and South Sudan have become ‘resource frontiers’ on a global scale.
