Environment Theme Mid-Term Review

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Environment ThemeMid-Term Review

• Tom Beckley
• University of New Brunswick
• Beckley_at_unb.ca
• 506-453-4917
• http//nre.concordia.ca

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CAPACITY MODEL

• OUTCOMES
• Economic wealth
• Social and political inclusion
• Social Cohesion
• Environmental security
• Social and self-worth
• Health
• Personal security

• ASSETS
• Economic Capital
• Human Skills and Abilities
• Social Capital
• Natural Resources

outcomes can become new assets and liabilities
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Environment and Capacity

• Natural Resources remain key assets
• Natural Resources are multi-functional
• Natural Resources and environment link rural and
  urban interests

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Natural Capital Project

• Assumption
• Functions and use of natural capital are changing
• Research Questions
• How is natural capital used in the new economy?
• What are the links between NC and capacity?
• Strategy
• Survey the literature
• Develop indicators
• Identify how it is used in NRE sites

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Governance of natural resources

• Assumption
• Local resource management can be effective
• Research Questions
• Which resource management approaches enhance
  local capacity?
• What are the limits to local resource management?
• Strategy
• Case study analysis of successes and failures

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Environmental Values Project

• Assumptions
• Concern for the environment is shared by rural
  and urban Canadians
• Research Questions
• How do rural and urban people share or differ in
  environmental values and behaviour?
• Strategy
• Random sample survey research

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Climate Change Project

• Assumption
• Climate change and mitigation policies will
  affect all rural communities
• Research questions
• How will climate change and mitigation policies
  affect rural communities?
• What capacity currently exists and how can
  communities build capacity to deal with these
  changes?
• Strategy
• Develop indicators for climate change impacts

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What we are learning about capacity and the
environment

• New forms and uses of natural capital
• Nature of contextual constraints on local
  resource management
• Useful strategies for reorganizing natural
  capital and other assets
• Common interests on which to build rural-urban
  alliances
• The role of environment, natural capital and
  capacity in community adaptability and resilience