Resource scarcity, particularly in regards to water, energy, minerals, and knowledge, plays a critical role in shaping geopolitical resilience around the world. This is evident in rising conflicts in regions such as Ukraine, the Middle East, the South China Sea, and Sudan. These conflicts are influenced by multiple power centers and differing geopolitical interests of global powers like the USA and China, regional powers like Russia, France, and Great Britain, and increasingly local interests.
To understand these future lines of conflict requires a deep dive into geopolitics and resource scarcity. Water and food have historically been sources of conflict as seen in clashes between states along major rivers or pastoralists versus farmers. Local wars over water resources highlight the need for cross-border cooperation and international agreements to prevent existential hardships.
In a larger geopolitical context, it’s evident that water resources are unevenly distributed around the world. Countries like Brazil, Russia, the USA