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Governance of natural resources : uncovering the social purpose of materials in nature

Title

Governance of natural resources : uncovering the social purpose of materials in nature / edited by Jin Sato.

Format

Book

Published

Tokyo, Japan : United Nations University Press, [2013]

Description

xxiii, 236 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Other contributors

Satō, Jin, 1968- editor of compilation.

Notes

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

• State inaction in resource governance : natural resource control and bureaucratic oversight in Thailand / Jin Sato
• Natural resource governance in Latin America / William Ascher
• Domestic politics and environmental standards : China's policy-making process for regulating vehicle emissions / Eri Saikawa
• People and business in the appropriation of Cambodia's forests / Andrew Robert Cock
• Incomplete mechanisms for conflict resolution : the case of Mt. Pulag National Park, Philippines / Masahide Horita and Doreen Allasiw
• Participation and diluted stakes in river management in Japan : the challenge of alternative constructions of resource governance / Naruhiko Takesada
• Distribution of mineral resources in Zambia : a longitudinal analysis of the mining community / Michiko Ishisone
• Post-growth community development and rediscovery of resources : a case of rural regeneration in a Japanese mountain village / Naofumi Suzuki
• Fishermen's plantations as a way of resource governance in Japan / Tomohiro Oh.

Summary

"Scholarly communities and policy experts have a tendency to divide natural resources into categories, hindering holistic understanding. Similarly, the stakeholders themselves--the state, business and people--are conceived monolithically, making it difficult to grasp how business interests, intra-bureaucratic politics and civil society movements influence policy outcomes. This book examines the socio-political dynamic generated by the environment and its attendant resources: how nature becomes a resource, and how this process in turn shapes our vision of society. It deploys a case study approach in examining the interactions between bureaucratic institutions; rural communities; national leaders and business elites, allowing for a more nuanced analysis. Particular emphasis is placed on how resources become the subject of conflict--but also opportunities for cooperation--and how different societies might establish more sustainable interactions with nature. The way society controls natural resources is the foundation of both economic development and environmental conservation. The primary motive for natural resource management has been the development and production of marketable commodities, and institutional structures have been shaped accordingly. The Social Constitution of Natural Resources asks that we re-consider the very concept of resources, and how we view them"-- Provided by publisher.

Subject headings

Natural resources--Social aspects. Natural resources--Government policy. Environmental policy--Social aspects. Sustainable development--Social aspects. Human ecology.

ISBN

9789280812282 (pbk.) 9280812289 (pbk.) 9789280871975 (e-book) 9280871978