Conservation of natural resources pdf download

Discusses some of Earth's natural resources, threats to their existence, and efforts to protect them. Includes related activities. This book presents valuable and recent lessons learned regarding the links between natural resources management, from a Socio-Ecological perspective, and the biodiversity conservation in Mexico.

It address the political and social aspects, as well as the biological and ecological factors, involved in natural resources management and their impacts on biodiversity conservation.

It is a useful resource for researchers and professionals around the globe, but especially those in Latin American countries, which are grappling with the same Bio-Cultural heritage conservation issues.

The resources that exist naturally and without actions of humankind are known as natural resources. Some of the varied natural resources that are available on Earth are sunlight, water, land and atmosphere as well as all crops, vegetation and animal life.

They can also exist in another form that needs to be processed to obtain the resource such as metal ores, petroleum, rare earth metals and various forms of energy.

They can be classified in different ways such as origin and stage of development. On the basis of origin, they are classified as biotic and abiotic resources. They can also be categorized as potential resources, actual resources, reserve resources and stock resources, on the basis of their stage of development. Using natural resources for economic growth, generally at the cost of environmental degradation is referred to as exploitation of natural resources.

This is because the concept of permanent sovereignty over natural resources addresses the issue of ownership of resources and the rights of states to exploit said resources in accordance with their national development policies and goals without outside interference. The distributive role of the law, however, is not without its fair share of challenges.

The first drawback to this role is that it results in the creation of sectoral regimes which are fragmented and uncoordinated thus lacking in harmony in their efforts to allocate and conserve natural resources. For instance, it is quite possible to find various laws dealing with land, wildlife, forests and water governing, simultaneously, the same area and its resources. The same problem occurs where institutions created by the same respective laws and acting within their mandate, conflict in terms of directives.

Distributive role of the law also faces the challenge of determining an appropriate balance that ensures the needs of the community as a whole are met while at the same time catering for the conservation of the environment. The Constitution of Kenya, for instance has made attempts to attain this balance by making provisions of various categories of land from public land to be held by the state on behalf of the people to private land and communal land which is held by private individuals and the community respectively.

This is because issues of natural resource access and distribution has resulted in numerous conflicts, especially since natural resources form the bedrock of most economies and sources of livelihood.

A quick illustration of this point is how emotive land issues are in Kenya. To further this aim, Kenya has constitutionalized the provision for a special court to 7 Art. The Environment and Land Court Act, was subsequently enacted pursuant to this provision9. Conservatory Role of Law The law can also be seen to play a conservatory role when it comes to natural resource management. The law puts in the effort to preserve natural resources despite their use, allowing the resources to continue existing in sustainable quantities for the purpose of exploitation.

A testament to this role of the law is that the universally accepted principle of sustainable exploitation and intergenerational equity are now seen to be firmly entrenched in all environmental legislation.

The principle basically states that all natural resource management strategies should be designed to meet the needs of the present generation without putting at risk the opportunity of future generations to enjoy the same.

It is firmly entrenched within the Constitution of Kenya as well14, with provisions for it also made within Kenyan statutes. We see the principle restated in E. A16 and just as clearly articulated within the Rio Declaration. The constitution provides that the state shall ensure sustainable 8 Art. C is also given the mandate to promote the application of Traditional Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in land related conflicts under Article 67, 2, f of the Constitution of Kenya A 11 Principles 1 and 2.

This is especially evident where, in its attempt to prevent harm to natural resources and the environment, the law may need to apply to pre-existing activities and operations if it is to prove effective. This role is what results into an authoritative and control approach taken to resource management by the concerned regulatory agents.

The prospective role of law, thus, to be more concise, entails the provision for regulatory limits backed by sanctions. This principle has also found home in our statute under E. A and Environment and Land Court Act. A , Kenya Wildlife Service K. S , Kenya Forest Service K. S and 18 Art. A 22 See Okidi C. A among others have been established by the respective laws involved in natural resource management to actualize the prospective roles of such laws.

Special officers are also appointed under such laws for instance environmental inspectors under N. A to further enforce said laws. In its prospective role, the law also places reliance on criminal law to ensure social control by deterring conduct or activity that leads to environmental degradation.

In Kenya, the E. A and other sectoral environmental laws such as forests, water and wildlife have penal sanctions that ensure, for the most part, compliance from the public.

However, the challenge with this is that cases involving environmental issues are not taken to a special court that deals specifically with infringement of environmental laws but are taken to lower courts like other criminal cases. This carries with it the offset effect of having environmental crimes treated as petty in the categorization of crimes by police thus derogating the proscriptive role the law would otherwise have assumed in this case by lowering the profile of environmental offenders.

These examples are of importance to man as they create an ecosystem of services. Man is dependent on the environment for sustenance, for growth and economic development.

These aspirations do not come without a challenge and as such a balance needs to be established so as not to deplete the very resources required for future generation existence.

The exploitation of natural resources for economic growth which is the root cause of environmental issues we face is manifested in various ways such as; deforestation, desertification, extinction of species, forced migration, soil erosion, oil depletion, ozone depletion and an increase in greenhouse gases thus leading to air pollution and subsequently contributing to related health issues in man. Sustainable use of natural resources and proper management of the environment is a big topic globally as the use or misuse will affect future generations to come.

If pollution goes unchecked, what health issues will manifest for the young generation and those yet to come? Proper management of the environment and utilization of natural resources in a sustainable manner is imperative as this is a key income generator for Kenya.

For instance, we rely heavily on Agriculture, Tourism and Manufacturing. To derive economic gain we must be able to replenish what we use and stay clear from over exploitation of that which we depend on for our livelihoods. These three sectors provide employment, a livelihood for many and in the case of agriculture- food for the citizens.

How then we interact with land, water bodies soil will determine how successful a crop a country can reap. All these mentioned are intertwined to how we treat the environment; if we emit too many pollutants in the air and cut down all the trees that affects the climate, including leading to drought.

Lack of predictable rain pattern then has consequences on the food production. The Environment needs to be nurtured.

If treated well, the environment reciprocates and if neglected and abused the living things suffer in equal measure if not worse. In Manufacturing or Industrialization some level of pollution is expected. It is critical to ensure that some management and caution is taken as to the impact of pollution as this tends to have an adverse effect on natural resources.

International law principle of polluter pays came into effect to guard against excessive pollution by companies and hence the penalty is as a way to keep in check or to a minimal the pollution effects from man-made production activities.

Tourism in Kenya is widely supported by our beautiful landscapes, beaches, flora and fauna. It is of concern how the wild animals live and migrate. Some wild animals are at risk of extinction due to poaching and others due to migration. If climatic conditions are not conducive, animals move while others die. The ecosystem is dependent on various flora and fauna for existence. This certainly proves that we must nurture our environment so as to grow as a nation.

The economy depends on it as well as the people. Although both indeed involve a degree of protection, they differ in how they achieve this objective. Conservation of natural resources connotes that we must use our resources wisely.

It is concerned with the sustainable use and management of natural resources. In Conservation, the focus is on ensuring that we use the natural resources and the environment in a way to improve our quality of life while being mindful of the next generation. This view is the strict setting aside of natural resources to prevent the use or contact by human intervention.

The objective here is to ensure that natural resources are left in their natural state, as they were meant to be. So, for instance, in preservation, policies may be made to set out some areas as conservatories or wildlife reserves. To date sovereign countries all over the world have signed and ratified legal documents which are derived from treaties or international customs. This paper will examine the principles of natural resources that have found home in the aforementioned treaties and international customary law.

The paper will also consider the context within which these principles are applied and their overall effectiveness. It is through these provisions that general rules of international law and those treaty or convention ratified by Kenya are domesticated and made operational in a municipal capacity.

Bodansky, J. Hey eds. It basically seeks to curtail the depletion of natural resources and pollution of the environment in a bid to curb the environmental damage that occurs as a result of such exploitation According to the Brundtland Commission26, sustainable development is that development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The E. A, under section 2 gives a similar definition for sustainable development.

At the core of this concept of sustainability is the idea that the current generation should not engage in practices that damage the prospects of future generations in maintaining or improving their living standards. A balance is therefore called for, between economic growth and attending to environmental considerations.

Many conventions held on Environmental issues acknowledge the need for man to interact with the environment but call for conscious engagement. The belief is that while it is necessary for developments to happen, it should not be at the expense of the environment. This implies an ethical balance between present and future generations. The development that is considered here is one that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs.

Principle 2 confers the Jurisdiction as the Sovereign right but not to cause damage to the environment. The core of sustainable development is enshrined in our Constitution under article 10 d. Sustainable development is about national values and good governance. The specific targets and actions are to be achieved in the next 15 years.

The SDG Goals are as follows; 1. No Poverty Reduced inequalities 2. Zero Hunger Sustainable cities and communities 3. Good Health and well being Responsible consumption and 4. Gender Equality production 5. Quality Education Climate action 6. Clean Water and Sanitation Life below water 7. Affordable and clean energy Life on land 8. Decent work and economic growth The present situation of food resources is defined by few modern driving forces and they are responsible for changing the food production, food markets, and food consumption.

They are as below:. In the causes of world food problems has few factors and in them, the decline in the availability of water and overgrazing are the two factors. The decline in the availability of water warns everyone that there will be a lack of water in the agricultural land by Overgrazing tells about the enhancement in the cattle production which heavily graze the forests or grasslands and this leads to the denude the land area.

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