Natural resource management

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Natural resource management is a discipline in the management of natural resources such as land, water, soil, plants and animals, with a particular focus on how management affects the quality of life for both present and future generations. The discipline has given rise to the notion of sustainable development, a principle which forms the basis for land management and environmental governance throughout the world.

In contrast to the policy emphases of Urban planning and the broader discipline of Environmental management, Natural resource management specifically focuses on a scientific and technical understanding of resources and ecology and the life-supporting capacity of those resources.[1]

[edit] History

The Natural resource management emphasis on sustainability can be traced back to early attempts to understand the ecological nature of American rangelands in the late 19th century, and the resource conservation movement of the same time.[2][3] This type of analysis coalesced in the 20th century, and took on a more holistic, national and even global form, culminating in the Brundtland Commission and the advocacy of sustainable development.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Massey University: Bachelor of Applied Science (Natural Resource Management)
  2. ^ Berkeley University of California: Geography: Geog 175: Topics in the History of Natural Resource Management: Spring 2006: Rangelands
  3. ^ San Francisco State University: Department of Geography: GEOG 657/ENVS 657: Natural Resource Management: Biotic Resources: Natural Resource Management and Environmental History