From crises stemming from supply bottlenecks over violent conflicts to outright wars - resource conflicts can take various forms. Furthermore, mining activities and the resulting environmental degradation can eliminate people’s basis of existence. Resource conflicts often are a reality, but in many cases also just a possible projection. On the one hand, the nature, strategic importance and price of raw materials contribute to potential constellations of conflict; on the other hand, a lot depends on the management and governance of resource reserves and production, industrial metabolism as well as value chains and financing chains. The present report summarizes the findings of the “Avoiding Raw Materials Conflicts Sustainably: International Conflict Risks in the Access to and Use of Raw Materials” research project, conducted by adelphi and the Wuppertal Institute on behalf of the German Federal Environment Agency, on the basis of which recommendations for further action and research are suggested.
