IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jrpoli/v90y2024ics0301420724001983.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Nonlinear relationship between natural resources and economic growth: The role of frontier technology

Author

Listed:
  • Xie, Tao
  • Xu, Ye
  • Li, Yu

Abstract

Natural resources have long been considered a possible engine for economic growth in underdeveloped nations. The nonlinear relationship between natural resources and economic growth is examined, focusing on the regulating function of frontier technology in developing nations. The resource-growth link is estimated using a panel dataset of 57 developing countries from 2008 to 2019 using the System Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) model. Our results show an inverse-U-shaped relationship, where initial resource availability positively influences economic growth, but increased reliance on natural resources after a certain threshold hinders economic growth. It emphasizes the need for efficient resource management and diversifying one’s income sources to counteract the negative consequences of the resource curse. This study also reveals the critical part frontier technology had in determining the resource-growth link. The favorable effects of natural resources on economic growth are strengthened by frontier technology, which includes cutting-edge developments in information and communication technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and sophisticated manufacturing. The research’s policy repercussions highlight the value of strategic investments in emerging technologies, human capital growth, and institutional reforms. Overall, this study offers an essential new understanding of the difficulties of resource-driven economic development in developing nations. Our findings provide evidence-based recommendations for decision-makers to support human development, sustainable economic growth, and poverty reduction.

Suggested Citation

  • Xie, Tao & Xu, Ye & Li, Yu, 2024. "Nonlinear relationship between natural resources and economic growth: The role of frontier technology," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:90:y:2024:i:c:s0301420724001983
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.104831
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301420724001983
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.resourpol.2024.104831?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Andrew M. Warner, 1995. "Natural Resource Abundance and Economic Growth," NBER Working Papers 5398, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Khan, Qasim Raza & Xinshu, Mao & Qamri, Ghulam Muhammad & Nawaz, Ahmad, 2023. "From COVID to conflict: Understanding the deriving forces of environment and implications for natural resources," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. David Roodman, 2009. "How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(1), pages 86-136, March.
    4. Mr. Carlos A Leite & Jens Weidmann, 1999. "Does Mother Nature Corrupt? Natural Resources, Corruption, and Economic Growth," IMF Working Papers 1999/085, International Monetary Fund.
    5. Thorvaldur Gylfason, 2000. "Resources, Agriculture, and Economic Growth in Economies in Transition," Kyklos, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(4), pages 337-361, November.
    6. Pan, Minjie & Zhao, Xin & lv, Kangjuan & Rosak-Szyrocka, Joanna & Mentel, Grzegorz & Truskolaski, Tadeusz, 2023. "Internet development and carbon emission-reduction in the era of digitalization: Where will resource-based cities go?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Sachs, Jeffrey D & Warner, Andrew M, 1997. "Fundamental Sources of Long-Run Growth," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 87(2), pages 184-188, May.
    8. Ahmad, Mahmood & Dai, Jiapeng & Mehmood, Usman & Abou Houran, Mohamad, 2023. "Renewable energy transition, resource richness, economic growth, and environmental quality: Assessing the role of financial globalization," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    9. Bleaney, Michael & Nishiyama, Akira, 2002. "Explaining Growth: A Contest between Models," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 43-56, March.
    10. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    11. Wang, Zhen & Huang, Yaoxuan & Ankrah, Victoria & Dai, Jiapeng, 2023. "Greening the knowledge-based economies: Harnessing natural resources and innovation in information and communication technologies for green growth," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PA).
    12. Teixeira, Aurora A.C. & Queirós, Anabela S.S., 2016. "Economic growth, human capital and structural change: A dynamic panel data analysis," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(8), pages 1636-1648.
    13. Jiapeng Dai & Zahoor Ahmed & Ugur Korkut Pata & Mahmood Ahmad, 2023. "Achieving SDG-13 in the Era of Conflicts: The Roles of Economic Growth and Government Stability," Evaluation Review, , vol. 47(6), pages 1168-1192, December.
    14. Yasmeen, Humaira & Tan, Qingmei & Zameer, Hashim & Vo, Xuan Vinh & Shahbaz, Muhammad, 2021. "Discovering the relationship between natural resources, energy consumption, gross capital formation with economic growth: Can lower financial openness change the curse into blessing," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    15. Rodriguez, Francisco & Sachs, Jeffrey D, 1999. "Why Do Resource-Abundant Economies Grow More Slowly?," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 4(3), pages 277-303, September.
    16. Zhang, Hongwei & Shao, Yanmin & Han, Xiping & Chang, Hsu-Ling, 2022. "A road towards ecological development in China: The nexus between green investment, natural resources, green technology innovation, and economic growth," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    17. Chi-Wei Su & Yannong Xie & Sadaf Shahab & Ch. Muhammad Nadeem Faisal & Muhammad Hafeez & Ghulam Muhammad Qamri, 2021. "Towards Achieving Sustainable Development: Role of Technology Innovation, Technology Adoption and CO 2 Emission for BRICS," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(1), pages 1-13, January.
    18. Michael Alexeev & Robert Conrad, 2009. "The Elusive Curse of Oil," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 91(3), pages 586-598, August.
    19. Zameer, Hashim & Yasmeen, Humaira & Zafar, Muhammad Wasif & Waheed, Abdul & Sinha, Avik, 2020. "Analyzing the association between Innovation, Economic Growth, and Environment: Divulging the Importance of FDI and Trade Openness in India," MPRA Paper 101323, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2020.
    20. Papyrakis, Elissaios & Gerlagh, Reyer, 2004. "The resource curse hypothesis and its transmission channels," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 181-193, March.
    21. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Adewale Samuel Hassan & Daniel Francois Meyer & Sebastian Kot, 2019. "Effect of Institutional Quality and Wealth from Oil Revenue on Economic Growth in Oil-Exporting Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-14, July.
    2. Tiago V. De V. Cavalcanti & Kamiar Mohaddes & Mehdi Raissi, 2015. "Commodity Price Volatility and the Sources of Growth," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(6), pages 857-873, September.
    3. Sharma, Chandan & Paramati, Sudharshan Reddy, 2022. "Resource curse versus resource blessing: New evidence from resource capital data," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    4. Kaznacheev, Peter, 2013. "Resource Rents and Economic Growth: Economic and institutional development in countries with a high share of income from the sale of natural resources. Analysis and recommendations based on internatio," EconStor Research Reports 121950, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    5. Fubing Su & Guoxue Wei & Ran Tao, 2016. "China and Natural Resource Curse in Developing Countries: Empirical Evidence from a Cross-country Study," China & World Economy, Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, vol. 24(1), pages 18-40, January.
    6. Moradbeigi, Maryam & Law, Siong Hook, 2016. "Growth volatility and resource curse: Does financial development dampen the oil shocks?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 97-103.
    7. Tadadjeu, Sosson & Njangang, Henri & Asongu, Simplice A. & Kamguia, Brice, 2023. "Natural resources, child mortality and governance quality in African countries," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    8. Boyce, John R. & Herbert Emery, J.C., 2011. "Is a negative correlation between resource abundance and growth sufficient evidence that there is a "resource curse"?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 1-13, March.
    9. Njangang, Henri & Asongu, Simplice A. & Tadadjeu, Sosson & Nounamo, Yann & Kamguia, Brice, 2022. "Governance in mitigating the effect of oil wealth on wealth inequality: A cross-country analysis of policy thresholds," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Kamiar Mohaddes & M. Hashem Pesaran, 2013. "One Hundred Years of Oil Income and the Iranian Economy: A Curse or a Blessing?," CESifo Working Paper Series 4118, CESifo.
    11. Khan, Muhammad Atif & Gu, Lulu & Khan, Muhammad Asif & Oláh, Judit, 2020. "Natural resources and financial development: The role of institutional quality," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    12. Crivelli, Ernesto & Gupta, Sanjeev, 2014. "Resource blessing, revenue curse? Domestic revenue effort in resource-rich countries," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 88-101.
    13. Amin Karimu & George Adu & George Marbuah & Justice Tei Mensah & Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah, 2017. "Natural Resource Revenues and Public Investment in Resource-rich Economies in Sub-Saharan Africa," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(4), pages 107-130, November.
    14. Elissaios Papyrakis & Reyer Gerlagh, 2005. "Natural Resources, Innovation, and Growth," DEGIT Conference Papers c010_054, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    15. Amin Karimu & George Adu & George Marbuah & Justice Tei Mensah & Franklin Amuakwa-Mensah, 2017. "Natural Resource Revenues and Public Investment in Resource-rich Economies in Sub-Saharan Africa," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(4), pages 107-130, November.
    16. Elissaios Papyrakis, 2007. "A Development Curse: Formal vs. Informal Activities in Resource-Dependent Economies," DEGIT Conference Papers c012_027, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade.
    17. Frankel, Jeffrey A., 2012. "The Natural Resource Curse: A Survey of Diagnoses and Some Prescriptions," Scholarly Articles 8694932, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    18. Armey, Laura E. & McNab, Robert M., 2018. "Expenditure decentralization and natural resources," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 52-61.
    19. Fan, Rui & Fang, Ying & Park, Sung Y., 2012. "Resource abundance and economic growth in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 704-719.
    20. Musayev, Vusal, 2014. "Commodity Price Shocks, Conflict and Growth: The Role of Institutional Quality and Political Violence," MPRA Paper 59786, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:90:y:2024:i:c:s0301420724001983. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/30467 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.