scholarly journals Coherence in Cross-Sectoral Policies is Imperative for Sustainable Management of Ecosystems

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4S) ◽  
pp. 33-41
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
Resource Governance ◽  
Schedule Vii

Sustainable management of ecosystems is a priority concern for biodiversity conservation and climate change resilience. India has enacted various policies and statutes governing natural resources that form an integral part of ecosystem governance. The federal structure of India's governance confers the power on vertical (three layers of government) and horizontal (various ministries, departments of government) sectors, to legislate on a variety of environmental issues. Under the Constitution of India, subjects related to the protection of the environment, conservation of biological diversity are governed by the Union List; while subjects of water and land are governed by the State List. Subjects concerning forest and wildlife are governed by the Concurrent List of Schedule VII. Implementation of statutes, governing different environmental subjects, is done by various ministries and departments including local self-governments established by 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976. Activities defined in the policies are implemented through schemes, plans, programmes or projects. As the ecosystem management is a major sector of biodiversity management, the schemes are divided into core and congruent sectors and related sectoral plans. Nexus approach is used to understand the importance of interlinks in the resource governance of India. This research work is ascertaining that conventional fragmented and isolated approach for governance of natural resources is detrimental to the sustainable management of ecosystems. On the background of climate change and increasing international cooperation for sustainable development, attaining coherence in the cross-sectoral policies governing ecosystem management is imperative.

Environmental Peacebuilding

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Ide
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
The Impact

Interest in the environmental dimensions of peacebuilding has emerged from the early 2000s onward due to two developments. First, with an increasing number of peacebuilding interventions by the international community and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), addressing environmental issues in post-conflict contexts has become a major concern. This is especially so as water and land are crucial for (re-)building livelihoods while modern wars produce considerable environmental damage. Second, an increasing number of scholars and policymakers are expressing concerns about the security implications of global environmental change, with the impact of climate change on violent conflict being a particularly salient topic. A focus on environmental cooperation and its potential peace-enhancing effects provides a complementary analytical perspective that can counter determinist and securitizing environmental conflict narratives. Environmental peacebuilding can be broadly defined as efforts to build more peaceful relations through conflict prevention, resolution, and recovery processes that integrate the management of environmental issues. In this context, peace refers to negative peace (the absence of physical violence) as well as positive peace (the absence of structural violence and the inconceivability of physical violence). Environmental peacebuilding can take place at the macro level (e.g., between states) as well as on the meso level and the micro level (e.g., between or within local communities). Environmental peacebuilding includes four sets of practices (which are not mutually exclusive): First, with resources like water or land becoming increasingly scarce in some regions and oil or mining projects often being heavily contested, preventing conflicts over natural resources is increasingly important. Second, in post-conflict contexts, natural resources must be managed well, for instance to reduce land-related grievances or prevent conflict financing through resource revenues. Third, climate change mitigation, adaptation to environmental change, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) can reduce grievances and promote community coherence. Finally, joint and severe environmental problems can act as entry points for cooperation across political divides, hence supporting processes of trust building and deepening interdependence (the respective set of practices is often termed environmental peacemaking). These practices can also fail, however, implying that they have no impact on environmental problems or peace processes. In the worst case, environmental peacebuilding practices can even facilitate new forms of exclusion, conflict, and environmental degradation. Over the past two decades, interest in environmental peacebuilding has grown remarkably, not at least due to the intensification of environmental problems and recent trends toward a less peaceful world. As a result of these developments, the literature on environmental peacebuilding has grown dramatically.

scholarly journals Natural resources in international treaties: From the sovereign rights of states to the common concern of humankind

2021 ◽  
pp. 391-405
Author(s):  
Dragoljub Todić
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Legal Protection ◽  
International Agreements ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
International Treaties ◽  
Common Concern ◽  
The Common

The paper points out the importance of natural resources and discusses their international legal protection. It analyses the UN deposited international agreements in the field of environment as well as the views of various authors. In specific, relations of the international agreements with the principle of permanent sovereignty of states over natural resources ("principle") and the concept of ,,common concern of humankind" (,,concept") is explored. The aim of the paper is to identify relevant international agreements, determine how they relate to ,,natural resources" and assess the content of norms related to the ,,principle" and ,,concept". The conclusion states that the ,,principle" and the ,,concept" are simultaneously defined in two international agreements (Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), that the content and meaning of the ,,principle" was upgraded, as well as that there are elements of intertwining and lack of clarity when it comes to characterising relations between the ,,principle" and the ,,concept".

Productivité et exploitabilité des forêts du canton de Vaud: vers plus de réalisme | Productivity and levels of exploitation of the forests in canton Vaud: a step towards more realism

2009 ◽  
Vol 160 (s1) ◽  
pp. s54-s64
Author(s):  
Denis Horisberger ◽  
Micheline Meylan
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Moderate Reaction ◽  
Reference Models

The present debate concerning the sustainable management of natural resources, accentuated by a climate change already well attested but the effects of which are still largely uncertain, is reviving interest in previsions of productivity and possible exploitation of the forests. The repetition of inventories, and the interpretation of these taking into account the particularities of each station, do make it possible to construct coherent scenarios of future development, despite the considerable age of the available reference models. A moderate reaction to the observed ageing and weakening of the forests in canton Vaud should be to support the continuation of the strategy of constant intensification of exploitation followed throughout the twentieth century, a strategy which is, moreover, indispensable for the strengthening ofthe multifunctional use of woodlands.

scholarly journals Knowledge and Perceptions of Environmental Issues by African Americans/Blacks in Washington, DC, USA: Giving Voice to the Voiceless

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9495
Author(s):  
Elgloria Harrison ◽  
Ashley D. Milton ◽  
Matthew L. Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Environmental Movement ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Environmental Knowledge ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
Personal Welfare

Our study elucidated knowledge and perceptions of natural resources and climate change by African Americans/Blacks in Washington, DC since they are a traditionally marginalized population and to see if we could dispel the perception that they have low knowledge and interest in environmental issues. Secondarily, we wanted to determine if knowledge and perceptions vary across age groups. We conducted a survey of 491 Blacks in the District and asked 26 questions/statements related to natural resources, climate change, economics, and health. Participants were categorized into four age groups 18–25, 26–40, 41–65, and 66 and older for analysis. We found that the level of environmental knowledge across the age groups was relatively high and largely similar. Our results suggest that Blacks care about the environment, see the environment as beneficial to their health, and are knowledgeable about natural resources. However, younger Blacks (18–25) were the least likely to think of the natural world as a community to which they belong, report feelings of connection to it, and recognize that it impacts their personal welfare. In conclusion, we find that Blacks in the District possess environmental awareness and use local environmental language, depicting the uniqueness of their community. The mainstream environmental movement may fail to recognize this local language, leading to exclusion of vulnerable populations based on a faulty premise that these populations lack knowledge or interest in environmental issues.

scholarly journals Agroecological practices as sustainable management of common natural resources: the case of Latvian permaculture movement

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elgars Felcis ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Ecosystem Management ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Industrial Civilization ◽  
Alternative Practices

Scientific evidence is robust about the environmentally destructive side-effects of the current industrial civilization and that requires radical actions to safeguard sustainable management of natural resources and liveable Planet Earth. Agroecology as a broader movement serves some of this role in demonstrating alternative practices in food production and ecosystem management. This paper demonstrates that the permaculture movement in Latvia is developing as a recognized alternative on the pathway to solutions, linking to the work elsewhere done on management of common natural resources – the things that no one owns and are shared by everyone. The author have explored the development of the permaculture movement in Latvia since its first roots in the late 2000s and the establishment of the Latvian Permaculture Association (LPA) in 2011. The contribution of the movement manifests itself in diverse aspects. It unifies various sustainability-oriented people, grounds itself in locality and traditions, organises practically oriented events to upskill people, and collaborates with Latvian environmental organisations and internationally. Within the research the author consciously opted for an in-depth involvement and co-creation of initiatives within the permaculture movement, leading the LPA since 2016 and organizing multiple events and workshops. That leads to further reflections on the role and necessity for participatory action research for sustainability transformations and common natural resources.

scholarly journals Education influences knowledge about environmental issues in Washington, DC, USA

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew L. Richardson ◽  
Ashley D. Milton ◽  
Elgloria Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
High School ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Natural Community ◽  
Advanced Education ◽  
Trade School ◽  
Climate Change Economics

ABSTRACTWe predicted that demographic differences in Washington, DC’s population would influence people’s knowledge and perceptions about the interconnectedness of natural resources, climate change, economics, and socio-cultural well-being, so we conducted surveys over three years to test that prediction. We collected demographic data from 455 participants and asked them 26 questions/statements related to natural resources, climate change, economics, and health. We selected education as the focal demographic category and participants were categorized based on their level of educational attainment: 1) completion of high school or less (hereafter “high school”); 2) some trade school or university education beyond high school up to and including completion of a trade school, two-, or four-year degree (hereafter “post-high school”); and 3) completion of a Master’s, professional, or doctoral degree (hereafter “advanced education”). Answers to 14 of the 26 survey questions were dissimilar across educational groups. People with advanced education reported the highest connection with the natural community and were more likely to report that their personal welfare depended on the natural community. Participants in the high school group were more likely to believe that humans do not have much influence on natural resources and placed more trust in technology and human achievements to control nature and ensure that earth will not become unlivable. Compared to those with education beyond high school, those with a high school education were more likely to express an interest in local environmental concerns over global, jobs over natural resources, and effects of degraded local natural resources on income, health, and the environment instead of on cultural/social practices, neighborhood aesthetics, and recreation. The results suggest ways in which educational information and engagement in environmental issues should be targeted for stakeholders of different educational background in order to increase knowledge and build effective partnerships that find solutions for environmental problems.

Climate change and water governance: an International Joint Commission case study

Water Policy ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 877-894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire S. Bleser ◽  
Kristen C. Nelson
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Water Governance ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Joint Commission ◽  
Transboundary Water Resources ◽  
International Joint Commission ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
International Joint

Governance has been identified by many scholars as a challenge to managing natural resources in a sustainable way. In addition, climate change is impacting natural resources, and complicating management. In light of these concerns, it is important that key characteristics of sustainable management are not ignored. Scientific legitimacy, an integrative ecosystem approach, long-term monitoring and pro-active governance are all important characteristics of successful sustainable management plans. However, these characteristics have not all been included in the day-to-day functioning of the International Joint Commission. This paper looks specifically at the key characteristics required for sustainable management of transboundary water resources and determines if the International Joint Commission, and particularly the International Rainy Lake Board of Control, are applying them to policies for regulation and management of border waters shared by Ontario (Canada) and Minnesota (USA).

scholarly journals Novel Framework for Predicting and Analyzing the Impact on Climate Change

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2475-2481
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Misclassification Rate ◽  
Mother Nature ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Living Things ◽  
The Impact

Earth is a beautiful place to live in. People are leading more sophistication and comfort life when compared to the olden days. Human are inventing things to ease of their work. But the burden is put on the Mother Nature. The earth is facing enormous environmental issues due to this. For our existence we need the Earth; but for its existence does not need human. It has evolved based on its own transformation. Once the transformations are natural it didn’t harm the Earth. But if it is anthropogenic, it affects all the living things on the Earth. This research work proposes a novel framework for predicting and analyzing the impact of climate change. The results of the analysis are presented for better understanding. The performance of the framework is also validated in this work in terms of accuracy and misclassification rate.

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