Environmental Challenges: Scarcity and Conflict in the Natural Environment

Human conflict has both short and long term effects on the natural world. The environment is directly impacted by pollution and explosions; and can be used as a weapon of war. In the longer term, sustainable environmental management is disrupted when conflict destabilises social systems and people are denied access to natural resources. As resources become scarcer, it might be expected that people come into conflict about access to natural resources.

This course explores three aspects of conflict and resource scarcity, and applies these to explore decision making and negotiation skills.

The course is suitable for anyone with a general interest in conflict and environmental decision-making; no previous knowledge or experience is required.

If you are working in environmental management, or wish to learn more about it, this course is designed to support you as a professional. By completing all aspects of the course you will have achieved 14 hours of CPD time.

• The principles of scarcity and conflict
• Welcome
• The economics of the coming spaceship Earth
• Scarcity and conflict
• The environment as a weapon of war
• Revision
• Summary
• Applying the principles
• About week 2
• Case study: International relations
• Discussion: Environment and conflict
• Focusing on – Conflict resolution and negotiation skills
• Revision
• Summary