In what has become widely known as the 'resource curse', high value natural resources have been linked to numerous armed conflicts and instability, significant loss of life, and lost opportunities for development. Apart from armed conflict and their repercussions, the resource curse affects other forms of conflicts and disputes over land, water, pollution, ownership of extractable resources and parts of their commodity chains. These become aggravated as certain activities and actors are attracted to the mix of high value resource extraction and low institutional capacity, to engage in self-interested activities which are highly detrimental for the governments and populations concerned. This occurs in spite of the great potential for such resources to contribute to peace and prosperity.