ESPM 32515251 Natural Resources in Sustainable International Development

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ESPM 3251/5251Natural Resources in Sustainable
International Development

• Instructors Dean Current
• Kristen Nelson

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Objectives

• Introduction to issues related to the use and
  degradation of renewable natural resources and
  the role they play in sustainable international
  development
• integrating social and biophysical issues in
  development and
• comparing and contrasting those issues in
  developed and developing countries.

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Objectives

• Understanding how socio-cultural, economic, and
  political factors often act as opportunities and
  constraints to sustainable natural resource based
  development
• Understand the cultural and cross cultural
  context within which international development
  efforts take place and how that influences
  development

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Course info

• 203 Green Hall, M 405-455,W 405-600
• Office hours
• Dean Current 300-400 pm MW, 500-600 pm M,
  or by appointment
• Kristen Nelson by appointment
• 3 exams during class periods
• 2 class lectures with one invited guest per week
• Participation important

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• Syllabus
• Exams short essay
• Graduate student paper
• Project proposal and presentation
• Readings
• Schedule

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Student Information

• What is your major?
• How did you find out about the course?
• Why did you take this course?
• What do you expect to learn from the course?
• Are there any specific topics related to
  sustainable development that interest you?
• Have you lived, worked or traveled overseas?
  Where and why?

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Natural Resources in Sustainable International
Development

• What do we mean by sustainable development?

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Definitions

• Development without destruction.Maurice Strong,
  Secretary-General of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.
• Sustainable development is a journey rather than
  a destination.David Buzzelli, former member of
  Canada's National Round Table on Environment and
  Economy

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Definitions

• Improving the quality of life while living within
  the carrying capacity of supporting
  ecosystems.World Conservation Union
• Sustainable development requires environmental
  health, economic prosperity and social equity.
  Earth Council

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Definitions

• Sustainable development involves the simultaneous
  pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental
  quality and social equity. Companies aiming for
  sustainability need to perform not against a
  single, financial bottom line but against this
  triple bottom line.The World Business Council
  for Sustainable Development

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Definitions

• Each generation is entitled to the interest on
  the natural capital, but the principal should be
  handed on unimpaired.Canada's Commission on
  Conservation (in 1915)

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Definitions - Brundtland Report - 1987

• development that meets the needs of the present
  without compromising the ability of future
  generations to meet their own needs.
• three fundamental components to sustainable
  development
• environmental protection,
• economic growth and
• social equity.

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3 components of Sustainability
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Three-legged stool

• The stool needs the economy, society and the
  environment to ensure a stable stool.
• We cant pay attention to one at the expense of
  the others.
• If one leg becomes weaker, it puts more stress on
  the others.
• If we strengthen one leg, the others benefit, as
  well.

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Other considerations

• Sustainable conditions are dynamic not static
• Spatial factors
• Temporal factors
• Sustainability/Non-sustainability is the
  cumulative impact of many individual decisions
  conditioned by socio-cultural, political and
  economic factors

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Development Aid/Developing Country/Project context

• Promoting sustainable options and ensuring
  adoption and evolution beyond the program/project
  stage
• Working within a project paradigm
• Short term
• Political linkages and priorities

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Renewable Natural Resources

• What is a renewable natural resource?
• Each generation is entitled to the interest on
  the natural capital, but the principal should be
  handed on unimpaired.Canada's Commission on
  Conservation (in 1915)

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Renewable natural resources

• Issues of supply, resilience and time required to
  regenerate (renew)
• Water
• Soil
• Wildlife
• Forests (primary, secondary)(Spruce bogs)
• Non-timber forest products

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Integrated Natural Resource Management

• Water
• Forest
• Agriculture
• Social institutions
• Political issues
• Economy

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Issues/status (Worldwatch Vital Signs)

• Food Trends
• Grain harvest and hunger both grow
• Meat production and consumption rise
• Aquaculture pushes fish harvest higher
• Transportation
• Vehicle production up
• Bicycle production recovers
• Air travel recovering

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Issues/status - 2

• Energy and climate
• Fossil fuel use surges
• Nuclear power rises
• Global wind growth continues
• Solar energy markets booming
• Biofuel use growing rapidly, but
• Climate change indicators on the rise

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Issues/status - 3

• Economic trends
• Global economy continues to grow
• World trade rises
• Foreign direct investment declines
• Weather related disasters near record
• Steel surging

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Issues/status - 4

• Health and social trends
• Population continues to rise
• Number of refugees declines
• HIV/AIDS worsening worldwide
• Cigarette production drops

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Issues/status - 5

• Conflict and peace trends
• Violent conflicts unchanged
• Military expenditures surge
• Peacekeeping expenditures soar
• Mixed progress in reduction of nuclear arsenals

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• Next week
• Monday Institutional issues
• Wednesday Discussion of Fair Trade and
  Certification
• Readings
• This week
• Definitions of Sustainable
• Sachs - The Millenium Project Plan
• Next week
• IDS - The Future of Development Financing
• Mitchell The object of development

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What do we mean when we talk about Development?