Resource security is a society’s ability to ensure the long-term availability of sufficient natural resources to meet demand. In IB ESS subtopic 7.1, this is a core concept for both SL and HL students.
Resource security depends on the relationship between supply, demand and access. A resource may physically exist but remain insecure because it is unaffordable, unevenly distributed, politically controlled or environmentally degraded.
Natural capital is the stock of natural resources available, while natural income is the flow of goods and services obtained from that stock. Security is threatened when consumption or extraction reduces natural capital faster than it can regenerate or be replaced.
| Factor | Effect on resource security |
|---|---|
| Population growth and rising consumption | Increase demand for food, water, energy and raw materials. |
| Resource depletion or environmental degradation | Reduce the quantity or quality of available natural capital. |
| Technology and infrastructure | Can increase supply, improve efficiency or provide substitutes, but may create new environmental impacts. |
| Governance and geopolitics | Affect ownership, trade, affordability and reliable access to resources. |
| Climate change | Alters water availability, agricultural productivity and ecosystem services. |
The shrinking Aral Sea provides a named example. River diversion for irrigation reduced water inflows, increased salinity and damaged fisheries and local livelihoods. This demonstrates how unsustainable management can produce resource insecurity and environmental injustice, because downstream communities may bear costs created by decisions elsewhere.
A common misconception is that a renewable resource is automatically secure. Renewable resources can still become insecure if harvesting exceeds regeneration, access is unequal or management is ineffective.
For HL students, strategies for improving resource security include reducing demand, increasing supply and changing technologies. However, each strategy involves environmental, social and economic trade-offs.
Exam technique: Define resource security precisely, explain a clear cause-and-effect chain, and support it with a named example. For an evaluate or discuss question, consider both benefits and limitations of management strategies before reaching a supported conclusion.