Importance of Communication to Environmental Sustainability, Customary Values - Case Study Example

Importance of Communication to Environmental Sustainability, Customary Values and Spiritual Significance in Relation to Engineering Projects (Tutor’s name) (Name and number of module) (Date due) Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Abstract 3 Introduction 4 Context of the study 4 Importance of the study 4 Limitations of the case study 4 Background information 6 Discussion 8 Conclusion and recommendations 11 Reference List 13 Glossary 14 Abstract The understanding of the importance of promoting sustainable management is paramount in any sustainable program. Proper management of natural and physical resources with respect to the environment is the back bone of any developmental project. The Maori protection is to be guarded by certain rules and regulations. The heritage importance of the ecosystem is enshrined in the legislature. The Maori people appear as if they sold their rights to the crown to retain their land by signing the Waitangi Treaty. Conflict arises when the government of New Zealand does not recognize the Maori in its law. The Treaty of Waitangi has never formed the part of the New Zealand constitution and hence the establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal to look into the claims that are related to the breaching of the treaty. The Crown is in conflict with the universal rejection of Maori and this casts a dark shadow on engineering projects that could have benefited the Maori resources. The crown claims the bulk of rights of the natural resources on the basis of maintaining national interests while the Maori base their argument on the basis of Article II of the Waitangi treaty. This makes these two entities to be at logger heads with each other with no meeting interface. But with the provision of the Resource Management Act there seems to be solution between these two groups. The Maori want full control over resources they claim they once owned but they must provide proof in the courts to ascertain their claims. For any successful engineering project the effects to the community and environment must be taken into account. For the Crown side they are trying to limit its liability and pursue growth related policies. But due to democratic values that are to be observed, on settling one groups problem will lead to an underprivileged group elsewhere. Understanding the of Maori perspectives of the environment, stewardship, customary rights and conflict between Maori and Crown is all the engineers require to be abreast with when handling projects in areas endowed with natural resources but its use is limited due to cultural and spiritual values they upholds. Introduction Context of the study The New Zealand government is in the process of selling off the Mighty River Power and other affiliated assets so as to raise revenue to fund other economic activities in the country. The government bases its decision on the ground that it is maintaining national interests. The Maori people on the other hand say that the Treaty of Waitangi must be respected as they claim ownership of Waikato River. This debate of how the waters of River Waikato must be used on one hand if the hydro electric project is not fulfilling its objectives of which it was built, then if it is disposed by selling with other assets revenue is generated. On the contrary cultural values and historically significance of the Maori must be taken into consideration. Importance of the study The coastal line of New Zealand is rich in historical artifacts. By selling the Mighty River Project the river water is bound to experience little pollution hence eco friendly. But according to the Maori all that is cared is claiming the ownership of the Waikato River. But since science is culturally neutral and value free the stunts that are held by the Maori will only derail developmental plans. Limitations of the case study Science and engineering is influenced by cultural origin. The indigenous science tends to put the spiritual and secular worlds apart. The presence of rationalistic arguments between the New Zealand government and the Maori people drags behind the proposals made by the government in fulfilling its environmental obligations due to these differences in views. The type of engineering projects that will be accepted by the Tangata Whenua should be considered by the project engineer. Therefore any project engineer needs to consult with the Tangata Whenua when undertaking projects that will have a significant effect on the environment. Also due to complicated consultation channels arriving at a sound decision becomes difficult to achieve. The private rights to own water is something that needs extensive consultation so as to reach a common interface. Though the Maori have substantial claims that they own the water, their claims have no national outlook since the energy generated from the Waikato River Hydro scheme is beneficial to the nation as a whole. Background information Treaty of Waitangi was initiated because the British government had seen its citizens settle in the New Zealand. They bought land from the Maori but at a cheap price. They believed the settlers were just borrowing land for use. The treaty was signed in 1840 between the British government and the Maori represented by 45 Maori chiefs. Under the treaty they gave New Zealand to the British Empire. In return they were to be guaranteed rights to their lands in addition to rights and privileges of being British citizens. This was not a legal arrangement in legislative view as was not recognized in the New Zealand laws (Theunissen, 2003). The treaty appeared in two languages English and Maori. The current legislation has tried to fill the gap left by the differences in the language ambiguities of the two treaties. Resource Management Act is used to make decisions. It forms the basis when solving problems that have a common theme in historical land and resource claims when acquiring land for public development. Though these issues are pronounced in the historical times still have scars on today’s notion on development of engineering projects. The Act provides a limited recognition of the Maori rights (Love, 1997). The courts provide a leveling ground for amicable conflict resolution on resource allocation. Principles of Treaty of Waitangi have reflection on the intention of the treaty as a whole though does not express the terms of the treaty. They include principle of partnership where both parties are to act honorably and in good faith (Love, 1997). The trust for cooperation is paramount. Redress to grievances, where the government is responsible in conflict resolution. Other principles include; Self-management, equality in legality, governance and reasonable co-operation principles. Waikato River is a symbol of spiritual and cultural connection to the Maori. It is used as a source of water for farming, electricity, and the waste water systems. Being the longest river in New Zealand it runs for 425 kilometers and empties into the Tasman Sea. The river has 9 hydro-electric stations on its course. Image 1: Settlement along Waikato River The Waikato River is mainly used for recreational activities. Following the acquisition of the river by the British they established farms, power generation projects and coal mining along the river leading to its pollution. The many uses the water has been subjected to leads to its deterioration of quality as it flows down stream. This has led to the conflict between the Crown and the Maori. They believe it is their ancestor and source of spiritual power. Mighty River Power is a state owned organization dealing in the fields of gas, hydro and geothermal power. It has a maximum operating output of 207,500 kW. Its significant growth pattern has made it to acquire 25% equity holding in the Tuaropaki Power Company. In partnership with the Tauhara North No. 2 it operates a 32MW Rotokawa geothermal power station. It produces power that meets the country’s 25% energy growth (Sack, 2006). Selling of the assets means disposing the items that are used in production of power like water, land, the machinery used in the plant and shares invested in other companies. There is contrasting relationship between the Crown and Maori world views. The Maori were the natives that were occupying the New Zealand. They had distinct ways of living that were characterized by fishing, farming and barter trade and in the 1700’s when the European arrived they introduced new ways of living that led to mechanization of farm activities. Since most of the Europeans were interested in the land that the Maori occupied to establish farms and ranches, in the late 1800’s war erupted over land disputes with the whites (Theunissen, 2003). In 1975 the New Zealand government organized and formed a commission that was entitled to look into claims that the Treaty of Waitangi was violated that led to the exploitation of the Maori people. Later the Te Ati tribe challenged the rights of a petrochemical company to discharge industrial effluents into the coastal waters destroying the coral reefs and the shell fish that was their livelihood. With the amendment of the treaty many natives came to improve their livelihoods (Theunissen, 2003). Discussion When managing public resources that are bound to initiate conflict with the natives or cause historical breach to their heritage, extensive consultation is needed before commissioning any engineering project. The Crown was of the decision that they sell off the Mighty River Power hydro electric project that was situated along the Waikato River. But since the Maori claim ownership of the river waters this idea is met with reluctance from the local community because water is their natural heritage (Love, 1997). The Treaty of Waitangi gives them the bargaining power in the deal. In the Treaty the Maori sold their land rights to the British Empire and in return they were promised rights of being British citizens (Theunissen, 2003). Since the Waikato River falls within their area of residence they must be consulted before the disposal of the Mighty River Power plant and its related assets. This was possible because through the formation of The Waitangi Tribunal which was able to look into claims of the Maori that some clauses of the Waitangi Treaty were being violated. According to Sack this protection makes attaining of the objectives of the government policy for the settlement of the Treaty of Waitangi claims has made it obvious to many people to bluntly reject the grievances of Maori. The diametric positions held by the Crown and the Maori leads to a stand off that would otherwise lead to revenue collection and maintaining the environmental concerns of the ecosystem along Waikato River. The people of Maori right from having contact with the Europeans and petitioning for protection from the British government, arrival of British settler’s commenced and the Maori welfare and land related issues were also initiated. The Resource Management Act provided an interface between the Crown and the Maori. Since all this parties were exercising authority over resources they were bound by this act by practicing guardianship over the coastal line and river water. The outstanding natural features and landscape must also be protected. Maintaining and making public access to the coastal line, lakes and rivers possible. The Act preserves cultural heritage by discouraging its subdivision and usage at the expense of initiating developmental projects (Love, 1997). Also the relationship between the Maori their culture, sites, waahi tap und the other taonga must be considered. Though the disposing of the Mighty River Power project and other assets on it like land, the Maori must be consulted since the project stands on their ancestral land and indigenous fauna and flora must be protected. The values provided by the ecosystem are geared towards maintaining a healthy environment. The recognized customary activities of the natives of the New Zealand must be considered as they value Waikato River for spiritual and cultural significance. The post Maori renaissance period has faced dilemmas with regard to carrying out its developmental projects. Just like how significant the land and water is important to the natives, the Crown also in need of the resources to foster development of national projects. The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi are useful in determining the management practices that should be incorporated into the modern management systems. The principle of co-operation underlines that the parties should work with honesty and good faith with the other. A basic understanding of the Marae protocol is essential in order to reach a common agreement to realize co-operation. The principle of redress gives the government of New Zealand the responsibility to find amicable solutions to grievances so that reconciliation can occur. By the Maori claiming ownership of Waikato River which is the bone of contention with the New Zealand government a solution is to be arrived at through proper consultation. All citizens are equal in the laws of New Zealand. The Maori are guaranteed legal equality with other citizens of New Zealand. Though their claims have no legal backing it is their right to be heard just like any other citizen. The major issues of common concern to both the Maori and the Crown revolve around management of natural resources. Through the principle of self management the tribes of the Maori can organize themselves and control resources as their own. Since the Maori were the natives of the land before colonization of the country, their claim that the Treaty of Waitangi must be respected. The establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal was to look into the claims of exploitation by the British. They although have the international recognition as the Waitangi Treaty is an international treaty. The New Zealand government on the other hand is interested in developing the available resources for national gain (Theunissen, 2003). The Mighty River Power having legitimately acquired the rights to use the Waikato River waters and hence holds the absolute rights to dispose the hydro scheme and its affiliates. It is a state owned enterprise and it includes Southdown Co-generation project and Marsden A and B power stations (Sack, 2006). River Waikato has always been a source of conflict between Maori and the Crown because of the contrasting opinions they hold. While the Crown views it as any other natural resource that needs to be developed, Maori despair of how their culture and tradition is being destroyed. Since the ideas of the Crown supersede the claims of the Maori, its waters continue to be put into development for national interests. The two parties can neither claim ownership of the waters but through extensive consultation they can both arrive at a common objective and put aside their conflicting interests. Co-management of the river can be arrived at as an amicable solution for their conflict. The conflict that exists between Waikato Tanui, that the river is a tapuna (ancestor) which has the driving force for the Maori community is substancial. This strong relationship makes it very hard to bluntly dismiss their claims that the Treaty of Waitangi accorded them the right to preserve their historic cultures and resources. Also the New Zealand government should take responsibility in maintaining the environmental requirements of its resources. The initiation of the Deed of Settlement to some extent alleviated the problems that stemmed from this conflict as this was because it provided a common interface for the conflicting parties. The common course was to maintain and protect the purity of Waikato River from environmental decay. Conclusion and recommendations The Treaty of Waitangi is recognized as an international treaty. Therefore all engineering projects survival must ensure that they consult with the Maori following the principles of the treaty. Also project engineers should consult with the Tangata Whenua “people of the land” on any project that is located in New Zealand that will have a significant environmental impact. Meetings should take place on the sites of sites affected by the proposals. This is because getting a summary of the issues affecting the people and having probable solutions for their concerns will eliminate stand offs with the natives occupying that area in question. The connection between the resources and the appropriate use and care will only prove successful if the New Zealand government and the Maori arrive at a common interface of understanding. According to the Maori land and water are a single entity justifying their claim of ownership the resources. Recommendations Effective communication is paramount for any successful outcome of a consultation process. The appropriate assistance and well laid out guidelines are to be provided by the developer if the Tangata Whenua have a tangible input to the project. The principles of the Treaty of Waitangi should be enshrined into the laws of the New Zealand so to avoid conflict of interests to future engineering projects. Establishment of ethnographic work groups to provide detailed information on the historical sacred sites on areas that are to be developed. Student’s Declaration I have not copied any part of this report from any other person’s work, except as correctly referenced. Collaboration: No other person has written any part of this report for me. Student Name:______________________________ Student declaration of the above ;___________________________( signature) Date____/____/_____ (Word count 2370) Reference List Love, M. T., 1997. The Interface between Maori and Engineers. The IPENZ Conference. Waikato: IPENZ Printing Press. Sack, P., 2006. Geothermal Market:A renewable Energy for the Future. London: Grin Verlag. Theunissen, S., 2003. The Maori of New Zealand. Minneapolis: Lerner Publicaions. Glossary Hydro capacity- Amount of energy generated by the plant in GWh/ Year Maori- A member of a people of New Zealand, of Polynesian-Melanesian descent Tangata Whenua- Where people that where associated as the original owners of land. They identified themselves with particular area of land Taonga – These are material and cultural treasures that were of significance to the traditions of the Maori. Technical feasible potential- The expected output hydro-electric power realized. Total installed capacity- Measured in kWh. The amount of power the plant is commissioned to produce at full capacity. Read More