natural resources

In Colombia, the women who defend their land, their culture, and the environment are being threatened, harassed, and sometimes even murdered. These women are true peace builders, but the State provides them with barely any protection. If urgent measures are not taken, their lives are in grave danger.

Advancing the right of people living in poverty to sustainable livelihoods has been a cornerstone of Oxfam’s work for many decades. Our goal is to enable millions of women and communities to become more resilient to a changing climate, and to secure access to the land and natural resources on which they depend.

The food price crisis of 2007–08 had devastating impacts for the world’s poorest people, especially for smallholder farmers and in particular for women. Ten years on, new policies are needed to rebalance the system to meet the needs of smallholder communities, with a renewed focus on meeting the needs and aspirations of women.

Despite its development potential, the Sahel faces an unprecedented crisis. Today, there is a multifaceted predicament on top of the pre-existing development challenges that the region has been tackling. The governments of the Sahelian countries and the international community must respond to these urgent problems, making the fight against inequality a top priority.

The petroleum sector offers governments huge potential revenues that could be invested in poverty alleviation and inequality reduction, but those revenues must first be collected. Oxfam proposes recommendations to address these challenges and ensure that governments collect the taxes owed for the exploitation of their finite, nonrenewable petroleum resources.

In most countries, subsoil oil, gas and mining resources are the property of citizens and are managed on their behalf by governments. Oxfam believes that citizens have a right to know the full terms under which oil, gas and mineral resources are developed and sold, to enable them to assess whether the public benefits claimed are likely to become reality.

Iraq faces severe pressures on its water resources following years of conflict and under-investment in infrastructure. This research focuses on the state of water resources in Kirkuk governorate in the north of the country and identifies the main challenges that need to be addressed.

In response to the latest Panama Papers leak that exposes how Africa is being deprived billions of dollars in natural resource revenues due to offshore deals, Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said governments are just not doing enough to stop illicit flows, tax evasion and tax avoidance.

Africa is losing billions to corruption, poorly negotiated deals and tax dodging. Leaders must listen to their people. They must crack down on tax dodging and maximize progressive revenues to create a more human economy for Africa.

The Asia Resilience Strategy for 2015–2020 provides a broad framework on inclusive humanitarian and development trajectories focused on the poorest of the poor in the areas of: 1) smallholder agriculture; 2) water; 3) urban resilience; and 4) natural resource management.