Resource distribution is a concept that describes the geographical occurrence of resources. Resources are limited and finite and if the distribution of these resources is unequal, it can lead to conflict. For example, humans rely on natural resources for food, fuel, clothing, and shelter. Conflict and other human problems can be caused by inequal distributions of these resources.
Humans rely on natural resources to provide food, fuel, clothing, shelter, and other necessities.
Natural resources are the raw materials used by humans for their daily needs. These resources include soil, water, fossil fuels and plants. These resources are used by humans to produce everything, from food to fuel to clothing. They also use these materials to build houses, produce electricity, and create raw materials for their industries.
The continuous inflow of natural resource is critical to the survival of our economy. These resources include forest, fossil fuels, arable and other natural resources. These resources are capable of regenerating, but over-exploitation can lead to depletion. This could lead to a decrease in the quality of life for future generations.
Natural resources have a finite supply
Natural resources refer to factors of production, whose sources are found in nature. These resources are usually shared and are available for free. Examples of natural resources include water, air, and land. Not all natural resources are available for free. Some of these, like rivers and forests, can be shared with everyone.
Natural resources are finite because they cannot be created or replenished in a laboratory. While the number of resources may rise and fall, their effective quantity is not unlimited. Therefore, there will be a finite supply of any given resource at some point.
They are exhaustible
According to the 'cheapest first rule', deposits with low extraction costs should be exploited. If the lowest cost deposits are exhausted, then the cost of extracting one unit of resource should rise. This rule predicts an increase in the price of a resource, according to Hotelling's rule of d percent.
Harold Hotelling, who first proposed the theory on exhaustibility in 1931, is still the one who developed it. Hotelling observed that our dependence on finite resources has led us to a shrinking stock. To understand what he meant with this statement, we must first define the term finiteness. The three factors that define a finite stock of natural resource are the extraction rate, replenishment rate and total stock. An increasing rate will reduce a resource in a relatively short amount of time.
Unequal distribution of resources can lead to conflict
The unequal distribution of natural resources has historically been a cause of conflict. Fairer trade would encourage a peaceful, sustainable world. Unfortunately, the current approaches to resource trade lack sufficient. These trade agreements do not address the underlying causes of conflict. The conflict potential is therefore high.
The relationship between inequality, conflict, and other factors is complicated and hard to determine. Some studies have focused on inequalities between individuals, while others have focused on inequalities between groups based on religion, ethnicity, language, or other differences. Yet, it is clear that some kinds of inequality matter more than others. Unfair distributions of resources can create conflict between communities or countries or cultural groups.