Introduction

It is essential for national and subnational governments, international organizations, and civil society to acknowledge the importance of resource exploitation for local livelihoods, and to take account of the tensions that can result from overlapping claims to the same resources, or to different resources in the same area. In many resource-rich countries, the small-scale exploitation of high-value natural resources, such as diamonds or forest products, may be well established before conflict, or may develop as a coping strategy during conflict. Such exploitation, which is often unofficial and even illegal, may be the economic backbone of war-torn communities. Local populations may accordingly view any disruption of their livelihoods—through large-scale exploitation or through attempts to curb peace spoilers’ access to valuable resources, for example—as a negative side effect of peace. Economic development must therefore be approached on two fronts: by fostering resource projects that will maximize fiscal returns, and by formalizing and supporting the resource economies on which conflict-affected populations depend.