Issues in Brief, No. 12, January 2010

Beyond The Resource Curse: Minerals and Global Development
By Saleem H. Ali

January 2010 (8 pages)
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This policy brief discusses the concept of the “resource curse” and the often-assumed connection between a country’s significant mineral wealth and violence and corruption. The paper argues that developing countries with abundant mineral resources can have positive and equitable development programs by establishing long-range plans that address governance, economic and social policies, and ecological issues associated with mineral extraction, and establishing appropriate frameworks and infrastructure to carry out these plans.

Saleem H. Ali is Associate Professor of Environment Planning at the University of Vermont. This briefing paper is derived from his latest book Treasures of the Earth: Need, Greed and A Sustainable Future (Yale University Press, 2009). www.treasurebook.info

Prof Ali also gave a Pardee Lunch Seminar on his book in Oct 2009.