Natural Resources and Economic Development

The book delves into the paradox of why natural resource exploitation fails to benefit poorer economies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It begins with a historical overview and critiques current theories on resource under-performance, introducing a frontier expansion hypothesis. Subsequent sections develop models analyzing land and water use in developing nations and investigate the complexities of resource dependency, rural poverty, and degradation. Through case studies, it suggests essential policy and institutional reforms for effective resource-based development.