Problems Facing Natural Resource Managers in Agriculture - Assignment Example

?Introduction There are many problems currently facing natural resource managers. These include maintenance of life support systems people depend on.Natural resources are often unsustainably which has resulted into large scale environmental problems that intimidate the extended existence of natural and ecological systems. Such systems include the agricultural, forestry, livestock and fisheries systems. Diamond (2005), describes that the poor depend on natural systems significantly for their survival either directly or indirectly. This is linked to the fact that human population depends on ecological processes and the hale and hearty ecosystems that produce the necessities of existence. The resource based activities in which the rural poor are engaged in include petite extent farming, animal production, fishing, hunting, mining and logging. They therefore rely on returns from these activities as their most important sources of earnings. They therefore plummet back to innate wherewithal when these sources fail. For them the natural resources foster consistency and reinforce the net security of the entire community. Bell and Park (2006) explain that the above does not however mean that the rich live their lives independent of natural resources. They derive more ecological proceeds from natural resources because they are proficient to exercise stronger control over the resources due to their greater administrative influence they have as compared to the underprivileged. One of the major problems facing environmental managers is scheming and preventing environmental degradation. Its impact spread to all aspects of the economy and not just the surroundings. Environmental slump leads to loss of species that impact negatively on the environment and abridged agricultural productivity that lead to poor economic growth. Bates (2003) explained that those who rely on the environment should do so with resilience and little or no vulnerability. Therefore, the problem faced by natural resource managers is how to ensure that the resources are used with pliability or less susceptibility while at the same instance deriving benefits. The strain in the natural resources is caused by uninhibited increase in population growth, this increases dependency on grain imports, loss of biodiversity and neglect of conventional farming techniques. This is caused by the migration of people to the urban areas to look for employment (Bellamy, Meppem, Gorddard and Dawson 2005). The establishment, testing and continuation of adaptive capability of natural and societal systems is becoming of huge concern to the managers in agricultural sector because of unfavorable climate change, poor water use and management in Australia. The actions of human beings are of great concern because they impact on natural resources with greater implications on social and economic development, sustainable livelihoods and environmental management. Land use and greater pressure on social systems are caused by increase in bucolic non farm money-making activities and increased urban population. Emergence of the problem of environmental conservation is of great complexity due to the multiple causes, problem perspectives and solution approaches. The solution approaches are also faced with poor institutional settings. Part of the solution approaches to curb the problem of conservation therefore requires a shift from federalism to proper ascendancy. This leads to interrelations of processes, structures and tasks. Australia represents countries with accelerating levels of environmental degradation and the complexity of natural resource ascendancy. There are however frameworks within the Australian Federal System to address the accelerating periodic challenges of sustainable natural resource and social systems. Sustainable formation, testing and maintenance of opportunities therefore refer to the goal of nurturing capabilities and creating viable opportunities. New-fangled cohort of authority in Australia is experimented to deal with issues relating to vitality of varying collective and innate ecosystems (Bellamy and Johnson 2002). Such issues include policy synchronization, inequitable tactic consequences, manipulated allocation and procedural chance of occurrence. Attempts to restrain deprivation and annihilation of natural resources on private land have previously proved intricate. The destruction of natural resources in Australia is in the form of clearance of native vegetation and forests, loss of biodiversity, land degradation and poor conservation of resources. Conservation in Australia is a matter of federal concern because a large portion of species are endemic to Australia and maintenance of this wealth of biodiversity is fundamental and imperative to future generations. Animal preservation is important in conserving the population and variety of animal species as Park (2005) stated. Key preservation can be achieved through progress in protecting the remaining rainforests and biodiversity. The preservation of rainforests is of huge significance towards conservation of the society. Natural resource managers in agriculture should keenly lay eyes on forests that provide timber, drugs and food to enhance efficient use of these forests. There are however problems in land organization which include clearance of indigenous undergrowth, unsuccessful reforestation of cleared land, inability to control exotic weeds and pests, expansion of dry land, decline in numbers of shorebirds, poor conservation of wildlife and the lack of appropriate methods to conserve biodiversity that is essential for existence (Australian State of Environment Committee, 2006). Biodiversity provides adequate pillars of a well and properly conserved and healthy environment. It is of huge concern by the Australian federal administration and concerned lobby groups to properly conserve and manage the environment. The management responses to resource conservation in Australia include protective management and the rehabilitation of threatened ecosystems and ecological processes. Protective management aims at prevention of squalor from the destructive effects of humankind while the second response rehabilitates an environment that has already succumbed to destruction. Park (2005) explained that all levels of the federal government of Australia have created waste management strategies as customs of conserving natural resources. These strategies were put in place after the government recognized the declining state of natural resource conservation. These strategies encourage recycling and alternative uses that are friendly to the environment. It is anticipated that the cost of enhancing proper conservation in Australia equal to the cost of nature upkeep. In the year 2010, the participants of natural resource conservation came up with “no waste 2010 management strategy”. This strategy was to eliminate all the weeds considering their devastating effects on natural settings, fecundity of farming land, waterways and coastal areas. In agriculture they affect the agricultural produce largely by contending with crops for necessary minerals, poisoning farm animals and contamination of agricultural produce. The weeds also lead to increased health care cost due to the allergic reactions they usually cause. The weeds that grow on water surfaces also hinder sailing, fish farming and recreational activities. These adverse effects of weeds have made Australia spend a great deal of funds each year in eliminating them and other weed-related problems. The money used in controlling weeds could have otherwise been used in other development projects that could boost the economic performance of Australia and guarantee the fortification of ecosystems. The approaches initiated provide an outline for constant management to eradicate and reduce the impact of weeds on Australia’s environmental, economic and social resources (Dawson, 2003). The Australian natural resource conservation strategy emphasizes the significance of preventive management strategy that aims at preventing poor methods of resource conservation and management. The natural resource management (NRM) policy contributes majorly to the Australia’s incorporated approach to state insecurity and complements other existing and new nationalized strategies such as the ones for terrestrial vertebrate pests and aquatic pests (Berkes, Colding and Folke 2003). The Australia NRM strategy has seven principles that aim at conserving the natural resources through weed management, good science and prioritization of conservation problems, deterrence and premature intrusion, dexterity and capacity building across the government. Nabatchi (2005) explained that the NRM is important and essential part of the sustainability of resources that benefit the economy and individual wellbeing. The strategy also emphasizes that the process of natural resource management is an issue of collective responsibility that requires every individual to understand their roles and participate as expected. Good science aids in effective development, review and monitoring of resource management approaches that are prioritized and must be kept informed by a risk-averse strategy. Bressers and Kuks (2003) explained that priority is given to the early intervention and prevention measures as they are the most reliable and cost effective techniques for NRM. The NRM strategy has resulted in some key achievements that included provision of weed management strategy at a national level, national accord on cost-sharing measures and accomplishments on the priority of National Weed Eradication Program and the development of national management strategy for each species. Meppem (2002) explained that conservation of natural resources is of national significance. This identified the nationally agreed right way of species’ control and supervision. This led to the establishment of guidelines and principles that promoted consistency in state and territory NRM legislation. This is also promoted by the help of the established guidelines and principles and the good relationship between agricultural sector and many administrative bodies. All provinces and territories have their own natural resource management strategies and policy documentation, coordinating bodies and legislation. The testing of new flora prior to approval across Australia has also contributed hugely in suppression of weeds. Miles (2006) explains that in order to achieve the objectives of proper natural resource management, there are principles that have been put in place in Australia. These include validity of organizations that have the mandate to manage the resources. Organizations become legitimate by the effectiveness of the outcomes they bring. The administrators of these programs should act with integrity without any attempts to manipulate the outcomes of their approaches for personal benefits. It is also important that the process of NRM is done with transparently including decision making and availability of information on governance and responsibility. Information regarding natural resource management should be provided to the stakeholders to encourage discussions and joint decision making. Accountable allocation and acceptance of responsibilities for actions and demonstration of attempts to meet these responsibilities should be made to ensure the progressive tabling of credible reports. This also entails good governance that requires compliance with management requirements (Kuks, 2003; Dovers and Wild River 2003). All stakeholders’ views should be respected to ensure consistency and absence of bias in decision making. Those advancing the NRM arrangements should be equitable and just in their representation. Being just implies fortification of biodiversity and biological systems. The very large number of threatened ecosystems identified in the Biodiversity Assessment implies that highly strategic approaches are required to achieve extensive recovery. The resources available to implement recovery plans are however limited. Focus is on providing legislative protection and on developing individual species’ recovery plans that implement regional and local natural resource management activities (Bingham, Nabatchi and O’Leary 2005). The Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management lists endangered species and natural communities and extensive recuperation measures in their governmental regions to promote recovery planning initiatives. This initiative could be extended to the development of bioregional overviews and strategies for the protection of rare and threatened species and ecosystems. Fair procedures and good governance will ensure satisfactory management of natural resources (Cocklin and Dibden 2005). Folke, Hahn, Olsson and Norberg (2003) stated that well managed approaches provide better linkages with environmental circumstances and restrictions. This helps in the monitoring process of native ecosystems. The Biodiversity Assessment has provided the first step in developing this approach. The integration and coordination of organizations at different levels align priorities and responsibilities appropriately. This with prior recognition of sustainable challenges requires connectivity that builds interdependencies among NRM issues. The goals of achieving sustainability in NRM require linkages in both formal ad informal institutional processes (Connelly, Richardson and Miles 2006). Education is also a key component in ensuring that biodiversity is well protected for the future generations. People need to be educated on how best to take care of the delicate ecosystem as well as how to better it bearing in mind the devastation that has already befallen it. Conclusion Natural resource management is a complex environmental problem whose solution requires institutional and individual input and innovation. High and workable standards are essential in designing a legal framework that takes a proper course of action leading to positive outcomes. The principles of NRM must be applied for successful and continuous management of the approaches that are put in place to help conserve ecological systems and entire biodiversity. Availability of knowledge and effective decision making is important in ensuring successful implementation of systems and methods that allow for free flow of information amongst all parties involved. This stimulates reliability and efficiency and requires effective implementation of the proposed approaches and management systems that entail sound financial management, effective human resource management and NRM planning and implementation. Fairness is crucial in environmental governance, though it operates properly when accompanied by guidance. Environmental justice brings about clear allocation of responsibilities and roles, eases tension between tactical priorities and evenhanded resource provision. The process of finding solutions to NRM is important because it enhances recognition of interdependence and coordination among environmental stakeholders and issues at all governance levels. It also ensures that the needs and voices of the disadvantaged in the society are heard and catered for. All over the world there is environmental degradation that has affected many aspects of not only human life but the whole ecosystem. Agriculture as a sector entrusted in offering human population with food has been highly hit. Weather patterns have drastically changed thereby leading to unpredictable weather patterns. As much as governments and other authoritative bodies as well as individuals point a figure at global warming, focus should center on what one has individually done to alleviate the situation. Environmental conservation need not be solely a government affair but individual responsibility. References Bates, G 2003. ‘Legal perspectives’. Managing Australia’s Environment, The Federation Press, Sydney, pp. 255-301. Bell, S and Park, A 2006, ‘the problematic metagovernance of networks: Water reform in New South Wales’, Journal of Public Policy, vol. 26 (1), pp. 63-83. Bellamy, JA and Johnson, AKL 2002, ‘Integrated Resource Management: Moving from rhetoric to practice in Australian agriculture’, Environmental Management, vol. 25 (3), pp. 265-280. Bellamy, J, Meppem, Gorddard, TR and Dawson, S 2005, ‘the changing face of regional governance for economic development: Implications for Local Government’, Sustaining Regions, vol. 2 (3) winter 2003, pp. 7-17. Berkes, F, Colding, J and Folke, C (Eds) 2003, Navigating social-ecological systems. Building resistance for complexity and change, Cambridge University Press, UK. Bingham, LB, Nabatchi, T and O’Leary, R 2005, ‘the new governance: Practices and processes for stakeholder and citizen participation in the work of government’, Public Administration Review, vol. 65 (5), pp. 547-558. Bressers, HT and Kuks, SMM 2003, ‘What does ‘governance’ mean? From conception to elaboration’, in H. A. Bressers and W.A. Rosenbaum (eds), Achieving Sustainable Development, Praeger, Westport, Connecticut, pp. 65-88. Cocklin, C and Dibden, J (Eds) 2005, Sustainability and change in rural Australia, UNSW Press, Sydney, Australia. Connelly, S, Richardson, T and Miles, T 2006, ‘Situated legitimacy: Deliberative arenas and the new rural governance’, Journal of Rural Studies, vol. 22, pp. 267-277. Diamond, JM 2005, Collapse: how societies choose to fail or survive, Penguin Group, Camberwell, Victoria. Dovers, S and Wild River, S (Eds) 2003, Managing Australia’s Environment, The Federation Press, Sydney. Folke, C, Hahn, T, Olsson, P and Norberg, J 2005, ‘Adaptive governance of social- ecological systems’, Annual Review of Environmental Resources, vol.30, pp. 441-473. Read More