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Author: brianna.j.dickey

Conflict Spillover Effects of Renewable Energy Transition: Cross-Border Tensions and Security Implications

Abstract The shift toward renewable energy is reshaping global power dynamics, creating new security risks and intensifying cross-border conflicts. This study examines how disputes over water resources for hydropower, the cross-border trade of critical minerals, and geopolitical competition for clean energy technologies contribute to regional instability. Focusing on conflicts in the Mekong region, the Sahel, […]

Resource Nationalism in the Green Energy Transition: The Case of Critical Minerals in Fragile States

Abstract As demand for critical minerals surges to support the global transition to renewable energy, resource-rich but politically fragile states are asserting greater control over extraction and trade. This paper examines the rise of resource nationalism in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, and Bolivia, where governments are renegotiating contracts, imposing export […]

Decarbonization and Secessionism: The Risk of Political Fragmentation in Fossil Fuel-Rich Regions

Abstract The global decarbonization agenda poses significant risks to political stability in fossil fuel-dependent regions, where declining oil revenues threaten existing elite agreements and economic structures. This paper examines whether the loss of fossil fuel rents increases the likelihood of secessionist movements in resource-rich subnational regions, such as Alberta (Canada), Basra (Iraq), and Dagestan (Russia). […]

Comparing Political Stability in Countries with Strong vs. Weak Economic Diversification Strategies

Abstract As the global economy moves away from fossil fuels, petro-states face a critical inflection point: adapt through economic diversification or risk political instability. This study evaluates the role of diversification strategies in determining the political trajectories of major oil-dependent states, comparing cases such as Norway and the UAE (strong diversifiers) with Saudi Arabia and […]

Critical Minerals and Armed Non-State Actors: How Illicit Trade Finances Conflict in the Energy Transition

Abstract As the global shift toward renewable energy accelerates, demand for critical minerals such as cobalt, lithium, and rare earth elements has surged. However, this transition has inadvertently fueled illicit mineral extraction, providing armed non-state actors with new revenue streams and exacerbating conflicts in resource-rich but fragile states. This study investigates how the energy transition […]

Cross-Border Armed Groups and the Climate-Conflict Nexus: The Role of Resource Scarcity and Trade Routes

Abstract Climate-induced resource scarcity is reshaping transnational conflict dynamics, particularly in regions where armed groups rely on illicit trade routes for financing and logistics. This study examines how environmental stressors, such as droughts and desertification, influence the movement and operational strategies of cross-border armed groups in conflict-prone regions, including the Sahel, the Myanmar-Thailand border, and […]