Sustainable Bioresource Management

Climate Change Mitigation and Natural Resource Conservation

Ratikanta Maiti, Humberto González Rodríguez, Ch. Aruna Kumari, Debashis Mandal, Ratikanta Maiti, Humberto González Rodríguez, Ch. Aruna Kumari, Debashis Mandal

• Publisher: Apple Academic Press
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000008333
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medizin
• Subtopic: Biochemie in der Medizin

This new volume emphasizes the drastic quantitative and qualitative transformation of our surrounding environment and looks at bioresource management and the tools needed to manageenvironmental stresses. This unique compilation and interpretation of concrete scientific ventures undertaken by environmental specialists at the global level explores research dedicated to the management of natural resources by controlling biotic and abiotic factors that make the earth vulnerable to these stresses.

The chapter authors look at all types of bioresources on earth and their management at times of stress/crisis, focusing on the need for documentation, validation, and recovery of ethnic indigenous knowledge and practices that could have great impact in stress management. The book looks at topics in nature and changing climate management, adaptation, and mitigation, such as the effects of climate change on agriculture and horticulture, on timber harvesting, and on forest resources.

Also specifically discussed are crop resources management, seed crops, tree seedlings, soil management, and conservation practices. The volume also includes chapters on animal resources management.

PART I

Nature and Changing Climate Management, Adaptation, and Mitigation

CHAPTER 1

Understanding the Value of Natural Resources for Human Well-Being

KAMALJIT K. SANGHA^*

Research Fellow, Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory 0810, Australia

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on the key benefits of managing nature’s systems for people’s well-being and, more broadly, for the modern economy and overall development. First, it explores a historical perspective of human connections with nature, and how nature has played a key role in shaping our ancient and modern civilizations. Second, it elaborates how natural resources are important for people’s well-being, and outlines the consequences of mismanaging them in terms of social-economic repercussions in the present times. To understand and evaluate the role of natural resources toward human well-being for policy decision-making, this chapter outlines three main approaches: realizing our connections with nature; applying an integrated and inclusive approach to development; and an ethical approach to live in harmony with nature. It explains the need for, and how to, realize our connections with nature, and proposes an integrated development model that is focused on people’s wellbeing, not the standard input and output measures, and accounts for the role of nature’s services. Applying an ethical approach to lead a meaningful life that is in harmony with nature and embedding ethical principles in development, this chapter underscores the importance of natural systems in modern economy.

human well-being value of nature’s services ecosystem services modern economy integrated development model ethical approaches to economics and nature

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Once the Dalai Lama (14th) was asked what surprises him about the humanity, he replied:

“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

In the modern world, one of our main goals in life is to accumulate material wealth. For that, we work hard. In the process, we forgot where the material wealth comes from, and we isolate ourselves from our mind and the surroundings. We often mislead ourselves for what the main purpose of life is, and fail to think about out how to lead a “balanced and meaningful life” that is in harmony with ourselves, and with our social, economic, and natural worlds. We spend too much time and efforts focusing on achieving “material” opulence, which does not necessarily provide us satisfaction/ happiness nor helps us to lead a meaningful life. This quote from Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) is most apposite here:

“A certain degree of physical harmony and comfort is necessary, but above a certain level it becomes a hindrance instead of a help. Therefore, the ideal of creating an unlimited number of wants and satisfying them seems to be a delusion and a snare.”

Irony is that in this cycle of material wealth, we even forget to realize the importance of good air, water, and food, which are, indeed, the fundamental needs for our living. So much so, nature’s raw resources for producing our material wealth, which is often assumed as a symbol of economic development, are either taken for guaranteed or remain overlooked.

A standard indicator to gauge development is the gross domestic product (GDP), which is based on input and output (exchange) of materials in the market. For the last 20 years, many researchers (Costanza, 1997, 2014; Daly, 1996, 2013, 2015; Dasgupta, 2004, 2010 and others) have called for modernizing development and the associated economic approaches. So far, we have little success. The current utilitarian view of economy still prevails with a strong focus on materials without considering the source of those materials. Nature’s goods and services and its capacity to absorb and process the waste that we create, is completely overlooked in the state economies input and output equations. Daly (2015) clearly outlines the importance of nature’s services/resources toward human welfare by contrasting an Empty World model that existed in the past when nature’s resources were in plenty with a Full World model that exists at present with resources becoming limited whereas the economy has expanded to its full capacity, as evident from Figure 1.1. The paradox is that although our economy is becoming constrained by the limits of the natural world, we still continue to dismiss the role of nature toward our well-being and overall economic development.

FIGURE 1.1 Limits to growth: An Empty World model when nature’s resources were abundant in the past and a Full World model where those resources are becoming limited to contain the growth of modern economy.
Source: Reprinted from Daly (2015) with permission from Great Transition Initiative, Tellus Institute.)

Our continuous tendency to compromise natural resources to grow modern economies is rather scary and completely misleading. The key question is that how do we, as global citizens, realize the importance of nature toward our development so as to sustain on this planet?

This chapter explores this very question by providing historical evidence of resource use, and outlining how our development (well-being) is directly and indirectly derived from nature’s resources by applying a broader holistic perspective of development that is well-being focused. It puts forth the argument for the need to manage our natural resources for future development—a topic widely covered in several other chapters of this book.

We or us refers to the people in general who use nature’s resources and return little of real value to nature.

1.2 LINKAGES BETWEEN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND NATURE’S RESOURCES

At the 66th session, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted a resolution on Harmony with Nature (A/RES/66/204). The UN General Assembly held a dialogue at their New York headquarters to examine how human activity has damaged Earth’s natural systems and affected the planet’s regenerative capacity, and how we can shift from a self (utilitarian)-centered to an Earth-centered approach. The dialogue emphasized that our success and wealth must be measured by the balance we create between ourselves and the world around us, that is, by our ability to live in harmony with nature. Rebalancing with nature, recognizing the role of Mother Earth in our socioeconomic fabric and reshaping the economy were the main points suggested to move nations forward with sustainable futures.

To apply an Earth-centered approach, we need to explore our connections with Mother Nature. A UN’s report on “Sustainable Development—Harmony with Nature” (A/66/302) reflects on relationships humans have had with the Earth, as well as with their own existence, from various civilization, spanning from the ancient times to the 21st century. It also proposes some relevant lessons that can be learned from ancient civilizations for advancing our understanding of people’s connections with nature:

1. Eastern traditions (Indian and other Asian countries) usually have no divide between the creator and his created animals. In Indian religions (Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and others), there is a focus on metaphysics and the belief that our bodies are made of five elements: earth, water, air, fire, and the soul. There is strong emphasis on the concepts of samsara (reincarnation), karma (cosmic justice or the deeds we do), moksha/mukti (liberation from the cycle of existence), and atma (soul/inner ultimate reality). Promoting good deeds that include caring for Mother Nature and other living organisms created by God are central to this philosophy.

The Vedic philosophy of India has always emphasized the human connection with nature. Vedism shows a way of life which is in harmony with nature based on scriptures...