Re-inserting and re-politicizing nature: the resource curse and human-environment relations

The last sixty years have seen a significant shift away from seeing resource wealth as a key component ofpositive macro-economic reform, to acceptance of the negative impacts that an abundance of, or dependenceon, natural resources can have on security, economic growth, and the development of accountable politicalinstitutions. The appropriation and extraction of natural resources emerge as expressions of complex relationsexisting within and between states, institutions and actors. At the same time, the attention given to thispotential 'resource curse' has precipitated a number of critiques that challenge not only the data and statisticalmethods used to link resource wealth with negative development outcomes, but also the theoreticalfoundation and relevance of studies that reduce complex socio-political and economic relations to thepresence of specific resources. This article draws on key literature from the field of political ecology todemonstrate how the concept of 'nature' has been omitted from these discussions. Critical analysis of 'nature'can refine the theoretical foundation and practical application of the 'resource curse' thesis. By re-inserting,re-politicizing and re-localizing the concept of nature we can include local production and consumption inthe analysis, while also highlighting the link between our understanding of natural resources and historicallyrooted discourses of 'proper-use.'