Resource Crisis

Limited access to essential resources is one of the primary drivers of the polycrisis.
The scarcity of energy, raw materials, freshwater and other natural assets creates not only supply disruptions but also geopolitical tension, economic shocks and social conflict.

Key Elements of the Resource Crisis

  • Depletion of fossil fuels and declining EROI
  • Scarcity of critical raw materials (rare earth elements, phosphorus, sand)
  • Freshwater shortages and emerging water conflicts
  • Degradation of agricultural land
  • Geopolitical concentration of resources and import dependence

The current economic model was built on the assumption of unlimited access to resources. Today this paradigm is increasingly challenged, as the shift to renewable systems itself requires significant physical inputs and energy investment.

Consequences

  • Disruptions in supply chains
  • Price spikes and inflationary pressure
  • Unequal access to technological progress
  • Escalating global tensions and resource-related conflicts including water-related disputes

Resource scarcity is not merely a physical limitation but a clear revelation of strategic blind spots. Established growth models increasingly collide with real ecological and economic boundaries that can no longer be ignored. The CASSee Program supports organisations in forming sustainable pathways aligned with these factual constraints.

Related Tags

#resourcecrisis, #energydependence, #EROI, #rareearths, #watercrisis, #inputscarcity, #localisation, #resourcesovereignty, #polycrisis, #CASSee

Resource scarcity increases operational risks — prepare with CASSee → CASSee Program