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Curse or Blessing? Natural Resources and Human Development

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  • José Pineda and Francisco Rodríguez

    (Human Development Report Office, UNDP
    Human Development Report Office, UNDP)

Abstract

This paper argues against a natural resource curse for human development. We find evidence that changes in human development from 1970 to 2005, proxied by changes in the Human Development Index, are positively and significantly correlated with natural resource abundance. While our results are consistent with those of other authors who have recently argued that natural resources do not adversely affect growth, we find strong evidence that natural resources have a positive effect on human development and particularly on its non-income dimensions. However, results from Latin America interactions show that the positive impact of natural resources in this region is significantly smaller than in the rest of the world. These results contribute to a broader discussion about the “resource curse” by showing that natural resources may be a blessing rather than a curse for human development, primarily through its effects on education and health rather than income.

Suggested Citation

  • José Pineda and Francisco Rodríguez, 2010. "Curse or Blessing? Natural Resources and Human Development," Human Development Research Papers (2009 to present) HDRP-2010-04, Human Development Report Office (HDRO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    • Handle: RePEc:hdr:papers:hdrp-2010-04
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Latin America Sentence of the Day
      by Ariel Goldring in Free Market Mojo on 2010-06-30 15:49:25

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Tania Masi & Antonio Savoia & Kunal Sen, 2018. "Is there a fiscal resource curse? Resource rents, fiscal capacity and political institutions," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-096-18, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    2. David Mayer-Foulkes, 2013. "A Cross-country Causal Panorama of Human Development and Sustainability," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 17(2), pages 235-251, May.
    3. Mohsen Mehrara & Abbas Rezazadeh Karsalari, 2011. "Oil Revenues, Economic Growth and Resource Curse in Iran Economy," Journal of Social and Development Sciences, AMH International, vol. 2(2), pages 73-80.
    4. Lebdioui, Amir, 2021. "The Multidimensional Indicator of Extractives-based Development (MINDEX): A new approach to measuring resource wealth and dependence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    5. Liu, Kaiyuan & Afzal, Ayesha & Zhong, Yifan & Hasnaoui, Amir & Yue, Xiao-Guang, 2023. "Investigating the resource curse: Evidence from MENA and N-11 countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    6. Timur Madreimov & Leiming Li, 2019. "Natural‐resource dependence and life expectancy: A nonlinear relationship," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(4), pages 681-691, July.
    7. Gerhard Toews & Alexander Libman, 2017. "Getting Incentives Right: Human Capital Investment and Natural Resource Booms," Working Papers 370, Leibniz Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies).
    8. Masi, Tania & Savoia, Antonio & Sen, Kunal, 2024. "Is there a fiscal resource curse? Resource rents, fiscal capacity and political institutions in developing economies," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    9. Elwasila Saeed Elamin Mohamed, 2020. "Resource Rents, Human Development and Economic Growth in Sudan," Economies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-21, November.
    10. Castellacci, Fulvio & Natera, Jose Miguel, 2016. "Innovation, absorptive capacity and growth heterogeneity: Development paths in Latin America 1970–2010," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 27-42.
    11. Cuneyt Koyuncu & Rasim Yilmaz, 2013. "Impact of private forest ownership on deforestation and poverty," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 1657-1664, April.
    12. Marc Badia-Miró & Cristián A. Ducoing, 2014. "The long run development of Chile and the Natural Resources curse. Linkages, policy and growth, 1850-1950," UB Economics Working Papers 2014/318, Universitat de Barcelona, Facultat d'Economia i Empresa, UB Economics.
    13. Pedro Concei ‹o & Ricardo Fuentes & Sebastian Levine, "undated". "Managing Natural Resources for Human Development in Low-Income Countries," UNDP Africa Policy Notes 2011-002, United Nations Development Programme, Regional Bureau for Africa.
    14. David Mayer-Foulkes, 2011. "A Causal Panorama of Cross-Country Human Development," DEGIT Conference Papers c016_049, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    15. Tania Masi & Antonio Savoia & Kunal Sen, 2020. "Is there a fiscal resource curse? Resource rents, fiscal capacity, and political institutions in developing economies," WIDER Working Paper Series wp2020-10, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O5 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies

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