Resource Security Case Studies

Petorca, Chile Water Context

Petorca, Chile Water Context

Alcama desert is one of the driest places in the world- 1mm rainfall/ year
Andes Mountain range creates rainshadow
$14 billion dollars of fruit sold each year
10 year drought
2006- TNCs moved into the area

Petorca, Chile Water Conflict

1981 Chilean water code allows water to be traded as a commodity
Locals forced to get water off of trucks
Water table fallen by 140 metres
TNCs can afford to extract from aquifers, locals cannot

Israel/ Palestine Water Context

West Bank aquifer (mostly in Palestinian territory)
61% precipitation is evaporated in Gaza
Sub-tropical high pressure belt= low and unpredictable rainfall

Israel/ Palestine Water Conflict

Palestinians have access to 1/3 of the daily water that Israelis do
1967 war lead to Israeli occupation of Gaza
Israel controls 80% of the West Bank aquifer
Oslo II (1995) gave Israel majority ownership of water
2007 Israeli military damaged 30km of Gaza’s water infrastructure
WHO found unsafe levels of nitrate in Gaza’s water → kidney disease

The River Nile Context

11 states in the river basin
Covers 10% of Africa
Ethiopia provides 80% of Nile flow- the Blue Nile
Recurring drought- 10mm rainfall/ year

The River Nile Conflict

95% of Egyt’s water is from the Nile
Population to grow by 25% by 2050
1959 Colonial treaty gave Egypt majority access

The River Nile GERD

12,000 jobs
4x electricity generate
Clean water= reduced disease
Salt water incursion on the Nile Delta (1/2 of Egyptians live here)
Reduces Aswan Dam productivity by 20%
Egypt’s flow cut by 12-25%
Pollution disrupts tourism on Nile cruises

The River Nile Management

Plans to use military intervention by Egypt were ceased

Shell Context

Largest energy company- 35 refineries
HQ in the Netherlands
Vertically integrated in 70 countries
Acquired BP in 2016 (horizontal intergration)
Employs 4500 in Scotland
2006 Artic Drilling Programme cost $5 billion
Begani drilling in Africa in the 1950s

Shell’s Positive Impacts on Nigeria

Employs 6000 directly- 90% Nigerian
Health clinics set up for 250,000 people
Niger Delta Aids Response Programme
Gives 3000 scholarships per year
Invested $3 billion to reduce flaring by 30%

Shell’s Negative Impacts on Nigeria

1.5 million tonnes of oil spilt over 50 hyears
Groundwater is polluted with Benzene 900x WHO level for potable water
Court case won in 2021 against Shell for oil spills that ruined crops- only 11% of planned works to restore land completed

Gazprom Context

State-owned (48%)
Accounts for 17% of world gas production
4th largest Russian gas producer

Gazprom’s Relationships

Supplies 25% of EU gas
80% of gas passes through Ukraine
2008- gained rights to El Assel drilling
Drills in Yamal Penninsula, Siberia

Gazprom Conflict

Greenpeace ship tried to intervene in 2013 Barents Sea drilling- siezed by Russia
Cut off all EU suupllies in 2006 for 4 days → 18 countries experienced a shortage

Athabasca Tar Sands Context

3rd largest crude oil reserve
Provides 7% of US consumption
Only 20% open-pit mines (more polluting)
Only 10% extracted is usable
Cost $9 more a barrel than Saudi oil

Athabasca Tar Sands Socio-Economic Impacts

Employs 500,000
Investment from UK/ Japan/ Norwar- largest investment sector in Canada
Drinking water contaminated
10% higher cancer rates
Cree Indians tribe threatened by fish endangerment

Athabasca Tar Sands Environmental Impacts

Boreal forest and peat bogs disturbed
2nd fastest global rate of deforestation
Largest contributor to climate change in North America
Peace-Athabasca Delta polluted
Acid rain
1600 birds killed by tailings
3x greater emissions than conventional oil extraction
1 barrel of bitumen= 6 barrels of tailings
Estimated $130 billion clean up cost

Grasberg Mine Context

2nd largest copper mine in the world
Cost $3 billion
Strata-bound copper deposits
Remote area- mountains/ mangrove swamps/ jungle

Grasberg Mine Impacts of Construction

4km wide open pit → deforestation
Exposed rock forms acid
Rock dumping in Lake Wanagon
Toxic waster released into Agabong river → disturbs aquatic food chains
20% waste flows into the ocean
Built on land without permits → cost the government $20 million
200 natives killed between 1975 and 1997 (cultural genovide)

Grasberg Mine impact of Distribution

Leakages to Jakarta and US
Airport, town, port, 12km road and 109km pipeline built
Transport contributes to global warming
Roads sunk into the swamp
Failure to include civil representatives in roadmap discussions

China South-North Water Transfer Context

China holds 20% of world population (rapidly increasing)
Moonsoon rainfall for short periods
80% of water used for industry/ agriculture
Lax environemntal laws → 35% reservoirs unusable from pollution
Already has 87,000 dams

China South-North Water Transfer Construction

Cost $62 billion
Diverts from Yangtze River to Yellow River
2/3 routes completed- 2700 miles of waterway
Hopes to stabilise Bejing’s water → creates wealth inequality issues

China South-North Water Transfer Environmental Impacts

Decreased flow speed in Yangtze Delta → water snails causing schistosomiasis, salt water incursion
Drought in Yangtze wetlands
Central route flooded land around Hanshui river
General decreased flow speeds → algal blooms (eutrophication)
Transfer pollutes some water (requires a lot of energy to treat)