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Rent-Seeking Practices, Local Resource Curse, and Social Conflict in Uganda’s Emerging Oil Economy

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  • Tom Ogwang

    (Department of Cultural Geography, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, 9712 CP Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Frank Vanclay

    (Department of Cultural Geography, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, 9712 CP Groningen, The Netherlands)

  • Arjan van den Assem

    (Department of Cultural Geography, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, 9712 CP Groningen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

We consider the different types of rent-seeking practices in emerging oil economies, and discuss how they contribute to social conflict and a local resource curse in the Albertine Graben region of Uganda. The rent-seeking activities have contributed to speculative behavior, competition for limited social services, land grabbing, land scarcity, land fragmentation, food insecurity, corruption, and ethnic polarization. Local people have interpreted the experience of the consequent social impacts as a local resource curse. The impacts have led to social conflicts among the affected communities. Our research used a range of methods, including 40 in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation, and document analysis. We argue there is an urgent need by all stakeholders—including local and central governments, oil companies, local communities, and civil society organizations—to address the challenges before the construction of oil infrastructure. Stakeholders must work hard to create the conditions that are needed to avoid the resource curse; otherwise, Uganda could end up suffering from the Dutch Disease and Nigerian Disease, as has befallen other African countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Tom Ogwang & Frank Vanclay & Arjan van den Assem, 2019. "Rent-Seeking Practices, Local Resource Curse, and Social Conflict in Uganda’s Emerging Oil Economy," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-14, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:8:y:2019:i:4:p:53-:d:217722
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Wen Zhong & Minggui Zheng, 2022. "How the Marketization of Land Transfer Affects High-Quality Economic Development: Empirical Evidence from 284 Prefecture-Level Cities in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-22, October.
    4. Frank Vanclay & Philippe Hanna, 2019. "Conceptualizing Company Response to Community Protest: Principles to Achieve a Social License to Operate," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(6), pages 1-31, June.
    5. Hui Hu & Weijun Ran & Yuchen Wei & Xiang Li, 2020. "Do Energy Resource Curse and Heterogeneous Curse Exist in Provinces? Evidence from China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-26, August.
    6. Tom Ogwang & Frank Vanclay, 2019. "Social Impacts of Land Acquisition for Oil and Gas Development in Uganda," Land, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-15, July.
    7. Tom Ogwang & Frank Vanclay, 2021. "Resource-Financed Infrastructure: Thoughts on Four Chinese-Financed Projects in Uganda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-22, March.
    8. Dou, Shiquan & Yue, Chen & Xu, Deyi & Wei, Yi & Li, Hang, 2022. "Rethinking the “resource curse”: New evidence from nighttime light data," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    9. Christine Richter & Marthe Derkzen & Annelies Zoomers, 2020. "Land Governance from a Mobilities Perspective," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-9, January.

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