Natural Resources, Sustainability and Humanity

Natural Resources, Sustainability and Humanity
Author: Angela Mendonca
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 209
Release: 2012-04-17
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9400713215

Shortly, this book is the written up-graded version of the topics discussed during the Small Meeting of the 2nd International School Congress: Natural Resources, Sustainability and Humanity, held in Braga, Portugal, 5-8 May 2010 with the diverse participation of scientists, educators and governmental representatives. The Earth hosts an immense ecosystem, colonized by millions of species for billions of years but only for a few tens of thousands of years by humans. Environmental history tells though that it was humankind that shaped the environment as no other species. History, geography, religion and politics among other reasons have differentiated populations with respect to access to safe food and water, education, health, and to space and natural resource utilization. The globalization era of trade, information and communication is shortening distances and increasing overall wealth, but, as is pointed out in this book, it is also contributing to the propagation of diseases, and to the modification or even destruction of native ecosystems by exotic invasive species. Man is the only species that has the perception of its history, evolution, of the consequences of its decisions, and that there is a future ahead. It is also the only species that has the potential to change it. This awareness can be a source of anxiety and contradictory behaviours, but it is also the key to changing attitudes towards the construction of a common sustainable home, by committed education, interdisciplinary approaches, mobilization and empowerment of people and political consonant actions.

Sustainability in Natural Resources Management and Land Planning

Sustainability in Natural Resources Management and Land Planning
Author: Walter Leal Filho
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 550
Release: 2021-08-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030766241

This book includes contributions from scientists and representatives from government and non-governmental organisations working in the field of land management and use and on management of fires. The book is truly interdisciplinary and has both a research and application-oriented dimension. The list of topics includes sustainability and water management; sustainability and biodiversity conservation; the future sustainability of nature-based industries such as agriculture, mining, tourism, fisheries and forestry; sustainability, people and livelihoods; sustainability and landscapes planning; sustainability and land use planning; handling and managing forest fires. The papers are innovative and cross-cutting, and many have practice-based experiences. Also, this book, prepared by the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP) and the World Sustainable Development Research and Transfer Centre (WSD-RTC), reiterates the need to promote a sustainable use of land resources today.

Sustaining Our Natural Resources

Sustaining Our Natural Resources
Author: Jen Green
Publisher: Heinemann-Raintree Library
Total Pages: 50
Release: 2011
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN: 1410943070

Looks at the concepts of sustainability, renewable energy sources, and biodiversity and discusses the impact of global economic growth.

Natural Resources Conservation and Advances for Sustainability

Natural Resources Conservation and Advances for Sustainability
Author: Manoj Kumar Jhariya
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 652
Release: 2021-09-24
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0128231122

Natural Resources Conservation and Advances for Sustainability addresses the latest challenges associated with the management and conservation of natural resources. It presents interdisciplinary approaches to promote advances in solving these challenges. By examining what has already been done and analyzing it in the context of what still needs to be done, particularly in the context of latest technologies and sustainability, the book helps to identify ideal methods for natural resource management and conservation. Each chapter begins with a graphical abstract and presents complicated or detailed content in the form of figures or tables. In addition, the book compares the latest techniques with conventional techniques and troubleshoots conventional methods with modifications, making it a practical resource for researchers in environmental science and natural resource management. Discusses the pros and cons of past and current endeavors related to natural resource management Presents recent technologies and methods for management and conservation, particularly with applications for sustainability Covers a variety of disciplines, from environmental science to life science Includes a graphical abstract as well as a section on significant achievements in the field and future perspectives

Sustaining Natural Resources in a Changing Environment

Sustaining Natural Resources in a Changing Environment
Author: Linda Hantrais
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 143
Release: 2020-06-09
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0429779313

Climate change and environmental degradation have intensified the pressures on crucial resources such as food and water security and air quality. In this collection, academic researchers and practitioners who have lived and worked in countries as geographically and culturally diverse as Brazil, China, India, Ghana, Palestine, Uganda and Venezuela draw on their wide-ranging international and inter-sectoral experience to offer valuable comparative insights into the relationship between research and evidence-based policy for sustaining natural resources. Their contributions provide a novel mix of disciplinary perspectives ranging across geography, ecology, social policy, the political economy, philosophy, international development, engineering technology, architecture and urban planning. They examine the institutions involved in generating and mediating evidence about the sustainability of natural resources in a changing environment, and the different methodologies employed in collecting and assessing evidence, informing policy and contributing to governance. The authors demonstrate not only that social science evidence on governance and policy implementation to sustain natural resources must complement natural science inputs, but also that local communities must be an integral part of any programme development. This book was originally published as a special issue of Contemporary Social Science.

Natural Resource Conflicts and Sustainable Development

Natural Resource Conflicts and Sustainable Development
Author: E. Gunilla Almered Olsson
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2019-04-12
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1351268635

Providing both a theoretical background and practical examples of natural resource conflict, this volume explores the pressures on natural resources leading to scarcity and conflict. It is shown that the causes and driving forces behind natural resource conflicts are diverse, complex and often interlinked, including global economic growth, exploding consumption, poor governance, poverty, unequal access to resources and power. The different interpretations of nature-culture and the role of humans in the ecosystem are often at the centre of the conflict. Natural resource conflicts range from armed conflicts to conflicts of interest between stakeholders in the North as well as in the South. The varying driving forces behind such disputes at different levels and scales are critically analysed, and approaches to facilitate and enforce mediation, transformation and collaboration at these levels and scales are presented and discussed. In order to transform existing resource conflicts, as well as to decrease the risk of future conflicts, approaches that enhance and enforce collaboration for sustainable development at global, regional, national and local levels are reviewed, and sustainable pathways suggested. A range of global examples is presented including water resources, fisheries, forests, human–wildlife conflicts, urban environments and the consequences of climate change. It will be a valuable text for advanced students of natural resource management, environment and development studies and peace and conflict management. The book will also be of interest to practitioners in the field of natural resource management.

International Natural Resources Law, Investment and Sustainability

International Natural Resources Law, Investment and Sustainability
Author: Shawkat Alam
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 765
Release: 2017-09-27
Genre: Law
ISBN: 131753588X

International Natural Resources Law, Investment and Sustainability provides a clear and concise insight into the relationship between the institutions that govern foreign investment, sustainable development and the rules and regulations that administer natural resources. In this book, several leading experts explore different perspectives in how investment and natural resources come together to achieve sustainable development in developing countries with examples from water, oil and gas, renewable energy, mineral, agriculture, and carbon trading. Despite varying perspectives, it is clear that several themes are central in considering the linkages between natural resources, investment and sustainability. Specifically, transparency, good governance and citizen empowerment are vital conditions which encourage positive social, economic and environmental outcomes for developing countries. In addition, this book provides new insights into key concepts which underpin international law, including sovereign rights and state responsibility principles. It is clear from this book that in the attempt to reconcile these concepts and principles from separate legal regimes, complex policy questions emerge whereby it is difficult to attain mutually beneficial or succinct outcomes. This book explores how countries prioritise their policy objectives to achieve their notion of sustainable natural resource use, which is strongly influenced by power imbalances that inform North–South cooperation, as well as South–South cooperation in the international investment regime. This book will be of great interest to students, academics and researchers of international environmental law, international human rights law, international investment law and international economic law. This book may also be of relevance to environmentalists, policy-makers, NGOs, and investors working in the natural resources field.

Natural Resources and Environmental Justice

Natural Resources and Environmental Justice
Author: Sonia Graham
Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING
Total Pages: 246
Release: 2017-03-01
Genre: Science
ISBN: 148630639X

Environmental management involves making decisions about the governance of natural resources such as water, minerals or land, which are inherently decisions about what is just or fair. Yet, there is little emphasis on justice in environmental management research or practical guidance on how to achieve fairness and equity in environmental governance and public policy. This results in social dilemmas that are significant issues for government, business and community agendas, causing conflict between different community interests. Natural Resources and Environmental Justice provides the first comprehensive, interdisciplinary examination of justice research in Australian environmental management, identifying best practice and current knowledge gaps. With chapters written by experts in environmental and social sciences, law and economics, this book covers topical issues, including coal seam gas, desalination plants, community relations in mining, forestry negotiations, sea-level rise and animal rights. It also proposes a social justice framework and an agenda for future justice research in environmental management. These important environmental issues are covered from an Australian perspective and the book will be of broad use to policy makers, researchers and managers in natural resource management and governance, environmental law, social impact and related fields both in Australia and abroad.

Natural Resources and Society: Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Humans and the Environment

Natural Resources and Society: Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Humans and the Environment
Author: Mohd Akhter Ali
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 196
Release: 2023-12-16
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3031467205

"Natural Resources and Society: Understanding the Complex Relationship Between Humans and the Environment" is a study of the dynamic interplay between humans and the natural world. The book explores the complex relationship between human societies and the environment, examining how human actions can both impact and be influenced by natural resources. The book covers a broad range of topics, including the history of human resource use, the role of natural resources in economic development, and the environmental impacts of resource extraction and consumption. It also considers the social and cultural factors that shape human interactions with the natural world, and the challenges of sustainable resource management. Overall, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between humans and the environment, emphasizing the importance of understanding this relationship in order to develop more sustainable and equitable societies.