Environmental Resource Management

• Environmental Management


  A goal or vision, an attempt to steer a process, the applications of a set of tools, a philosophical exercise seeking to establish new perspectives towards the environment and human societies
• Environmental Resource Management


  Actual decisions and action concerning policy and practice regarding how resources and the environment are appraised, protected, allocated, developed, used, rehabilitated, remediated, and restored
• Environmental Resources


  • Soil
  • Water
  • Mineral
  • Hydrogen
  • Oxygen
  • Trees
  • Animals
• Renewable Resources


  • Reproducible and in principle could be maintained perpetually
  • Examples are forests, animals, and water
• Non-renewable Resources


  • Can be regenerated, or the regeneration takes place so slowly that it will not significantly increase the stock of resources in any reasonable time span
  • Examples are oil, gas, and minerals
• Recyclable Resources


  • Do not lose their properties when they are used in economic processes, thus can be reused in the economic system
  • Examples are minerals, paper, and glass
  • In theory, 100% of these resources could be recycled but for economic reasons only a fraction is recycled
• Non-recyclable Resources


  • Finite in the sense that once used, their stock is no more available for future use
  • Examples are energy resources such as coal, gas, and oil
  • Also include single use items
• Stages of Environmental Resource Development


  • Potential Resource
  • Actual Resource
  • Reserve Resource
• Management Entities


  • Government
  • Industry
  • Community
  • Research and Educational Institutions
  • Church
• Government's Role


  • Provides the legal bases for managing the environment
  • Formulate and implement laws, policies, presidential decrees, prohibitions, and penalties regarding the use of environmental resources
• Industry's Role


  • Use appropriate methods, meeting legal requirements, and taking proactive attitude towards using sound environmental management practices
  • The Environmental Management System (EMS) is a cycle involved in programs of organizations to meet their obligations to the environment
• Community's Role


  • Take responsibility for actions, active involvement in managing the environment, "thinking global and acting local"
  • Practice discipline, active participation, and overall respect
• Research and Educational Institutions' Role


  • Information dissemination, data on environmental status, providing advice, participating in management initiatives
  • Develop solutions to existing environmental problems and promote the concept of sustainable development
• Church's Role


  • The responsibility to God as the Creator has been a powerful incentive to pro-environmental concerns
  • The church is tasked to remind, set examples, and initiate environmental projects
• Environmentally Sustainable Development


  • Using, conserving, and enhancing the community's resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life, now and in the future can be increased
  • Meeting current needs without compromising future needs, which also means economic improvement for the world's poorest populations is possible without devastating the environment
• Precautionary Principle


  • Involves actions that could prevent any harm to the environment
  • Emphasis must be placed on anticipation and prevention of environmental damage
  • Precaution affects how science is conducted; how products, production processes, and activities are designed; how information is weighed in deciding, and who is involved in the decision process, all of which are designed to prevent environmental problems
• Intergenerational Equity


  • The present generation should ensure that the health, diversity, and productivity of the environment is maintained or enhanced for the benefit of future generations
  • This represents a widely recognized principle of international environmental law providing for the preservation of natural resources and the environment for the benefit of future generations
  • Example: Paris Agreement
• Environmental Considerations in Decision-making

  • The government, industrial, and business sectors should always take into consideration the impact of their decisions on the environment
  • The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is designed for this purpose; to evaluate the impact of a project on the environment, society, and health
• Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecological Integrity


  • Biological diversity is especially important for maintaining the balance in ecosystems
  • The future of the earth and all generations to come rely on biodiversity
• Improved Valuation, Pricing, and Incentive Mechanisms


  • Enable environmental factors to be included in the valuation of goods and service
  • Valuation helps to manage environmental risks; and reflect the trade-offs and complementarities between environmental benefits and other forms of economic and social activities
• Environmental Management Model


  • Objective
  • Targets
  • Personnel
  • Tasks
  • Schedule
• Environmental Management Mechanisms


  • Acts and Regulations
  • Treaties and Agreements
  • Policies and Guidelines
  • Principles
  • Strategies and Plans
  • Licenses and Permits
• Environmental Conservation


  The objective of sustainable development; use but not abuse
• Environmental Preservation


  The use of the environment for aesthetic purposes only, no part of the environment should be used for other purposes