Firmly places impact assessment in the broader context of environmental planning, developing a much-needed integrative approach. The topics covered include: decision making and dispute resolution; the role of environmental law; public policy, administration and publication participation; the nature of planning; impact assessment methodology; the application of impact assessment to frontier developments; linear facilities and waste mana
Sustainable Resource Management: Modern Approaches and Contexts presents the application of the current concept of sustainability to the management of natural resources, such as water, land, minerals and metals using theoretical field knowledge and illustrative real-world examples. Initially, the book defines sustainability, detailing its evolution and how it has been adapted to each of the contexts in which it is used. Furthermore, sustainability is made up of three main areas of science—environmental, social and economic—which are rarely considered together. This book is a complete reference guide to sustainability of natural resources for academics, researchers, practitioners and postgraduate-level students, and more. As sustainability is an interdisciplinary field, linked to most sciences, it is also of use to all fields of science that need to maintain sustainable practices and specific details on the methodologies and techniques needed for sustainable resource management. Provides an integrated approach for modern tools, methodologies and indicators for sustainable resource management Evaluates emerging trends and advanced approaches in sustainable resource management, detailing the most up-to-date research and management considerations Describes advanced sustainable resource management technologies and presents case studies where applicable
Evaluating Environmental and Social Impact Assessment in Developing Countries, Second Edition, outlines an evaluation framework that supports environmental professionals, researchers and academics in evaluating the effectiveness of impact assessment within limited budgets, promotes standardization across the field, and helps determine if Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is achieving its intended goal of sustainable development. Using Bangladesh as a case study, the book discusses key processes, highlights the need for an integrated, holistic approach, outlines the current institutional framework, and discusses environmental impact, social impact, community participation, and the implementation of mitigation measures. This new edition provides a fully updated picture of both recent changes and ongoing development in process, such as the growth in social wellbeing, community participation and enhanced auditing. Finally, the challenges still facing EIA and SIA evaluation are addressed as robustly as possible. Outlines the latest updates on how EIA and SIA outcome assessment systems are being incorporated Highlights the surge in growth of community participation in EIA and gives valuable insights into the methods and techniques being used to successfully harness this phenomenon Provides updated case studies that demonstrate how the evaluation framework has been applied, revealing the challenges, changes, failures and successes that have taken place on these projects since the first edition
This book is addressed to scientists, researchers, development specialists and policy makers who deal with natural resources and agriculture in the developing countries. It aims to (1) provide evidence of the impact of natural resource management research (NRMR) in the CGIAR; (2) establish a methodological foundation for impact assessments of NRMR; and (3) draw up a set of lessons for future impact assessment studies. The book consists of three main parts. Part I (chapters 1-3) provides the definitional, historical, and theoretical background for NRMR impact assessment in the CGIAR. Part II (chapters 4-11) presents the methods and results of seven case studies on the impact of NRMR projects carried out in the CGIAR. Two summary chapters (12 and13) are presented in part III. The book has a subject index.
. . . this book makes an interesting and worthwhile contribution to the ever-expanding body of literature on sustainable development and therefore is to be recommended. Karen Scott, Journal of Environmental Law . . . this is an essential text for the study of sustainability and institutional change, an invaluable professional development text for the practitioner, and a text to ponder slowly in all its complexities for an academic study of sustainability. Kate Crowley, Australian Journal of Environmental Management Does the road to sustainable development run through institutional reform or, better yet, institutional learning? In this well-argued book, Robin Connor and Stephen Dovers draw on a range of case studies to demonstrate the critical role that institutions play in determining the course of human environment relations. Oran R. Young, University of California, Santa Barbara, US Connor and Dovers correctly argue that achieving sustainability is a long-term process. In this context, they analyze broad institutional innovations toward sustainability to date from Europe to New Zealand, from sustainability councils to property rights to suggest how the historical process might be improved and accelerated. This is among the most constructive efforts I have read. Richard B. Norgaard, University of California, Berkeley, US It is clear that the transition to ecologically sustainable patterns of development requires significant institutional change, yet we face a paradox. Although institutions are the primary means of driving reform, they are themselves a root cause of unsustainable development and a barrier to positive change. This volume moves beyond the current debate by advancing our understanding of the nature of institutional change, the features of more appropriate institutional settings, and the manner in which change can be enabled. Institutional Change for Sustainable Development presents a flexible, accessible, yet robust conceptual framework for comprehending institutional dimensions of sustainability, emphasising the complexity of institutional systems, and highlighting the interdependence between policy learning and institutional change. This framework is applied and developed through the analysis of five significant arenas of institutional and policy change: environmental policy in the EU; New Zealand s landmark Resource Management Act; strategic environmental assessment; emerging National Councils for Sustainable Development; and transformative property rights instruments. From these explorations, key principles for institutional change are identified, including the institutional accommodation of a sustainability discourse, the interdependence of normative and institutional change; reiteration and learning; integration in policy and practice; subsidiarity; and legal change. Institutional Change for Sustainable Development will be of interest to researchers, policymakers and practitioners concerned with sustainability, resource management and environmental policy.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has become a vital management tool worldwide. EIA is a means of evaluating the likely consequences of a proposed major action which will significantly affect the environment, before that action is taken.This new edition of Wood's key text provides an authoritative, international review of environmental impact assessment, comparing systems used in the UK, USA, the Netherlands, Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand and South Africa.
This book does an exceptional job in giving an understanding of change, complexity, uncertainty and conflict as well as their linkages, including awareness of strategies, methods and techniques to handle them relative to resource and environmental management. The text enhances the reader's capacity to conduct practice and conduct research in resource and environmental management.
Selected from the July 1999 eighth International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, held in Brisbane, 18 papers deal explicitly with the social dimension of natural resource management. They conclude that there is a paucity of material theorizing the nexus of environment, society, and natural resources, and suggest some new choices of theoretical frameworks for researchers in field studies. They consider the role of the social sciences in natural resource management, planning and impact assessment, sustaining resources, and institutions and regulation. c. Book News Inc.
This book is the first significant international attempt to outline and analyze how social assessment has been integrated within natural resource management institutions to date. In doing so, it focuses on contemporary Australian and New Zealand experiences, and relates these back to the international context. Social Assessment in Natural Resource Management Institutionsprovides practical guidance for a wide range of planners, managers and stakeholders striving for better integration of social issues. The lessons derived are equally relevant to national, provincial, regional and local governance structures, international agencies, corporations, and community-based non-government organizations.
A New Systems Thinking Approach to Sustainable Resource Management: Principles and Applications introduces an innovative approach to exploring systems holistically and understanding complex interconnected dynamics effectively among technical systems, natural systems, and human activities to address challenges in resource management. This book covers the fundamental principles of “systems” and ”sustainability”, and introduces the methodology of “new systems thinking,” which comprises system modeling, mapping, integration, analysis, and sustainability assessment. The application of this new systems thinking approach is demonstrated through practical case studies, including waste management systems, food-energy-water nexus, and biorefinery systems. This is an excellent reference for academics, undergraduate and postgraduate students, professional engineers, and policymakers across various disciplines including: chemical and process engineering, environmental science, environmental engineering, and environmental management. • Introduces the “new systems thinking” approach and explains the core principles of system modeling, mapping, integration, analysis, and sustainability assessment • Guides readers through methodologies with step-by-step instructions, illustrated with example problems • Includes practical case studies to equip readers for real-world projects related to sustainable resource management, embracing the new systems thinking approach
