Resources : never before has a term been so prominent in the questions and analyses focusing on the development of contemporary societies, whether they are dealing with the economy, local or planetary policies or civil society.
Natural, economic, institutional or cognitive resources : the areas embraced by this issue are practically unlimited. Resources are at the heart of ecological, geopolitical or financial conflicts (abundance vs. scarcity, renewable vs. limited resources ; marine or polar resources, etc.), and they are at the epicentre of economic activity and political issues, as can be seen in the emerging problematics of “food sovereignty” or “climatic security”. From now on, resources constitute both a concern and a horizon for every society and therefore a major challenge for both the short and long term.
For a dynamic panorama of some common resources, consult the “real-time global resources” at http://www.worldometers.info/.