Natural Resources and the ‘Quality’ of Economic Development
- 7 March 2011
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in The Journal of Development Studies
- Vol. 47 (4), 545-573
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00220388.2010.506915
Abstract
Are natural resources a ‘blessing’ or a ‘curse’ for human development? This article attempts to answer the question by distinguishing between a ‘dependence’ on natural resources and an ‘abundance’ of the same. Dependence is measured in terms of exports of metals and fuel, while resource abundance is calculated on the basis of the subsoil assets per square kilometre and per capita. Results show the existence of a negative correlation between metals and ore exports and human development, while subsoil assets measures are, rather, positively related. These effects are particularly significant in countries with a comparatively lower institutional quality. The cases of Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea, briefly examined, suggest, however, that the effects of natural resources on human and economic development can be very different, and strictly related to specific national political and institutional characteristics.Keywords
This publication has 59 references indexed in Scilit:
- Is Development Path Dependent or Political? A Reinterpretation of Mineral-Dependent Development in BotswanaThe Journal of Development Studies, 2009
- Oil abundance and violent political conflict: A critical assessmentThe Journal of Development Studies, 2007
- State Formation and Governance in BotswanaJournal of African Economies, 2006
- Natural resource abundance and economic growth revisitedResources Policy, 2005
- Context Matters - Rethinking the Resource Curse in Sub-Saharan AfricaSSRN Electronic Journal, 2005
- Greed and grievance in civil warOxford Economic Papers, 2004
- The resource curse hypothesis and its transmission channelsJournal of Comparative Economics, 2004
- Ethnicity, Insurgency, and Civil WarAmerican Political Science Review, 2003
- On the Incidence of Civil War in AfricaJournal of Conflict Resolution, 2002
- Why do Some Countries Produce So Much More Output Per Worker than Others?The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1999