The Science of Sustainable Development: Local Livelihoods and the Global Environment

Description

Science faces major challenges in tackling the interlinked problems of poverty and environmental sustainability. This book reviews how practical science can be applied to real-life conservation and development problems, and aims to de-mystify the sometimes obscure science of natural resources management, interpreting it for the benefit of those who need to deal with the day to day problems of managing complex natural resource systems. The authors give practical guidance to those who design and manage conservation programmes and demonstrate that new technologies are now available that enable integrated natural resource management to move from a theory to a reality. They argue that the threats to the natural environment posed by globalisation require an integrated response encompassing different scales, system components, disciplines and knowledge types, and that such a response can yield real benefits to those living in tropical developing countries, whilst also achieving global environment objectives.

Jeffrey Sayer is Senior Associate, Forests for Life Programme, WWF-International, Switzerland. Bruce Campbell is Director, Forests and Livelihoods Programme, Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Indonesia.

'... successfully cuts through much of the acknowledged complexity in dealing with ecological and related systems and provides the overarching background to why small, local steps, such as restoring a quarry, matters.' Mineral Planning 'This book will be of great interest to anyone involved in carrying out, supporting or using research to improve NRM in developing countries.' TRENDS in Ecology and Evolution 'This book is a useful text for the specialist resource manager or natural resources researcher ... A breath of fresh air this book - with a strong message; perhaps even a mission ...' Geography