Revisiting Abundance Theory and its Relationship with Freshwater By: Adan E. Suazo, National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago Introduction Abundance Theory, as it relates to environmental security, seeks to explain how the abundance of natural resources can facilitate the emergence of conflict (Rosser, 2006). Despite some studies that challenge this theoretical proposition (Makdisi & Sadaka, 2006; Woodwell, 2006), there is wide support for causal relationships between abundance and conflict. However, abundance theorists are prone to analyzing this causal dyad by operationalizing natural resources as non-renewable resources. Overemphasizing the conflict-inducing causal effects of non-renewables is problematic because it leads to an empirical disregard for other types of natural resources that may bear a strong potential for conflict. Like some types of non-renewables, freshwater is marketed as a resource with high economic value, and several actors are encouraged to intensify its exploitation and manipulation globally, often causing water-related inadequacies for local communities, as well as environmental degradation and ecosystem collapse. While scholars of Neo-Malthusian persuasion have conducted significant work on how water scarcity can lead to conflict (Homer-Dixon, 1999; Hsiang et al., 2011), no comprehensive studies exist that focus on the conditions under which water conflicts emerge within a water-rich environment. To this end, this chapter will assess the relevant arguments Suazo - 1