Depletion of natural resources as a threat to environmental security and a factor in international relations

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which the depletion of natural resources is a threat to environmental security and to what extent this affects international relations. The author’s argument is that it is the struggle for more resources and control over their use that gives rise to conflicts in the modern world and the more natural resources are depleted, the more conflicts occur. This article broadens the scope of the theoretical overview and shows the connection between the depletion of natural resources, as an element of threat to environmental security, and security in relations between the different countries. This study is relevant in terms of the data for the last three years; it is a result of their analysis that accounts for the impact of COVID-19 on resource use and the ability of nature to recover. The study focuses on results for resource depletion worldwide, without a claim to completeness, and offers ideas for the future. These may be prerequisites for future research in the context of resource depletion and their impact on different sectors of the economies of each country. In order to reduce the use of natural resources, a circular economy is proposed, where possible.