Asia Pacific Co-operation for the sustainable use of renewable natural resources in biosphere reserves and similarly managed areas

Food security and sustainable use of natural resources: a 2020 Vision

The article examines the concept of use of natural in Environmental Law. It has been shown that both in law and in legal science, the concept is unreasonably used in the following meanings: sustainable use of natural resources, the use of natural resources that does not make their exploitation difficult, the use of natural resources that does not entail violation of the legislation, etc Two common legal criteria for the rational use of all natural resources have been identified: (1) achieving maximum efficiency of their use at the current level of the technique and technology development (2) with such a level of negative impact that the environment can handle itself On the basis of the named criteria, the rational use of any natural resources suggests understanding of the use of natural resources characterized by maximum efficiency in terms of the balance of private and public interests in environmental law in compliance with the current level of technological development and the extent of the negative impact that the environment is able to cope with itself because of its assimilating capacity The article defines legal differences between rational use of natural resources and their sustainable use. Also, it formulates additional legal criteria that separate the rational use of renewable and non-renewable natural resources An additional legal criterion for the rational use of renewable natural resources includes enhancement of sustainability of natural ecological systems, natural and natural-anthropogenic objects. Additional legal criteria for the rational use of non-renewable natural resources include: their most efficient use and/or extraction; their economical consumption with minimum losses at the current level of technology development It is suggested that the rational use of renewable natural resources means the use that results in strengthening natural ecological systems sustainability, natural and natural-anthropogenic objects. Rational use of non-renewable natural resources means their most efficient use and/or extraction, their economical consumption with minimum losses at the current level of technological development and such extent of the negative impact that the environment is able to overcome independently

Fats and Oils as Renewable Feedstock for the Chemical Industry

Various decision support methods are used to support the sustainable use of natural resources, but there is little evidence about these methods' actual performances. In this study, 35 carefully selected papers assessing the sustainable use of natural resources were evaluated. The evaluated papers utilized one of the following methods: optimization, cost- benefit analysis (CBA) and monetary valuation methods, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) or hybrid approaches. Each method supported sustainability in a different manner. Optimization and CBA case studies rarely involved stakeholders and social sustainability was less processed. Monetary valuation case studies showed a regular participation of the general public, but in a passive role. Experts and stakeholders with an active role were typical participants in MCDA and hybrid case studies. Internationally and nationally defined indicators of sustainability were scarcely used because indicators were frequently defined by stakeholders or the authors of the studied papers. It was presumed that international and national indicators were unsuitable for local use. Sustainability indicators typically took both the quantitative and qualitative form, including gaps and uncertainties. MCDA could be a suitable method for assessing sustainability because it has no strict requirements on the form of the data, and the participation of stakeholders is comprehensive. For the problem structuring phase, however, MCDA might not provide efficient tools. The ideal method for assessing the sustainable use of natural resources could be a hybrid of two methods with different approaches: qualitative methods could be used in the problem structuring process, whereas quantitative methods could be used when priorities and thresholds are assessed.

Current economic models based on fossil resources and the concept of highpressure growth endangers not only life on our planet, but also the world economy. The need to respond to the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis represents a unique opportunity for transition to a sustainable economy focused on the well-being of people and nature. Green, circular and bio economy provide a conceptual framework for the use of renewable natural resources for holistic transformation and the management of land, food, health care and industrial systems with the aim to achieve sustainable development in harmony with nature. There are many innovative activities harmonized with the concept of green economy that can be conducted in the forestry sector. In addition to the traditional use of wood as a raw material in wood processing industry, some of the examples of innovative activities are the following: carbon projects, biomass as an energy source, plantation production and the use of other forest products. No other sector provides such long-term and multidimensional positive effects. Considering the role of forests and forestry sector in our region, one of the main obstacles to the adoption of new concepts lies in the fact that forests are often seen exclusively as a wood source for different needs. Logs, and more recently biomass as well, have been the focus of forest benefits, while many other benefits have not been properly defined or evaluated. In order to change the current paradigm, it is necessary to constantly promote the fact that forests are the largest green infrastructure in the region and the largest source of terrestrial biological resources. They can provide a wide range of ecosystem services and play a significant but often underestimated role in the overall economy. Focusing on the territory of the Republika Srpska, it is certain that forests and forest land provide a large number of ecosystem services and products, which can significantly contribute to achieving the goals of green economy. The main goals are related to climate change (through adaptation and mitigation) and the use of renewable energy sources, as well as to other sectors such as ecotourism, construction, rural development, agroforestry, urbanforestry, water management, textile and chemical industry, use of other forest products, hunting, the use of forest ecosystems for health purposes, pharmacy, etc. In order to fully exploit the RS forestry potentials in green, circular and bio economy on a sustainable basis, it is necessary to continue a deep transformation in terms of planning, management, control and sustainable use of natural resources.

In the contemporary world, many environmental and social crises such as climate change, pollution, resource depletion, energy waste, deforestation, desertification, extinction of species, environmental racism, forced migration, waste trafficking, hazardous waste dumping, environmental injustice, etc. are cumulatively threatening the existence of humans and the planet itself as a result of irresponsible and immoral natural resources exploitation. Sustainable use of natural resources is a normative approach that advocates for responsible and wise use of natural resources to meet the needs of present and future generations. In Islam, the idea of sustainable use of natural resources is not new as the religious scripture Al-Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) instructed us to use the resources wisely in limits. Islam advocates for a harmonious and respectful relationship between humans and nature. Every element of the universe including humans is created by the Almighty one and only Allah in balance with a purpose. Humans are provided with everything needed to survive and flourish from nature by Allah but as vicegerent of Allah, they bear a special responsibility to take care of His creations. Islam advocates for sustainable use of natural resources so that natural resources can be distributed with justice and equity among generations and the natural equilibrium stays intact. This paper unravels the teachings of Islam regarding natural resource usage and shows how it promotes sustainable use of natural resources for future generations. In this paper, it will be shown that the Islamic perspective on natural resource usage can serve as a foundation to mitigate pollution, resource depletion, energy wastage, and other environmental crises prevailing in the current time and motivate the present generation to be cautious, moral, and responsible regarding natural resource usage. Philosophy and Progress, Vol#75-76; No#1-2; Jan-Dec 2024 P 309-334

The 3th International Conference “Sustainable and Efficient Use of Energy, Water and Natural Resources” 19-24 April, 2019 in the School of Biotechnology and Cryogenic Systems of ITMO University, together with the Tomsk Polytechnic University. The conference has been held since 2018.The aim of the conference is to create an effective platform for discussing practical and theoretical issues of energy conservation and resource efficiency. The target audience of the conference is the representatives of the organizations from scientific and educational communities, the representatives of state authorities and industrial and commercial companies.The target audience of the conference is the representatives of organizations from the scientific and educational complex as well as the representatives of state authorities and production companies.Within the framework of eight sections, reports were presented on a wide range of issues in the following areas: Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency, Environmentally-Friendly Energy Conversion and Supply, Environmental Protection Systems, Clean Technologies, Clean water, Sustainable Use of Natural Resources, Sustainable cold chains, Food Biotechnology for Human Health.List of Scientific and Organizing Committee is available in this pdf.

Co-management approach to sustainable management of marine protected areas: The case of Malaysia

Eutrophication is a major threat to the Baltic Sea, causing algae blooms and hypoxic bottoms. Ecological engineering methods aiming at help mitigating the nutrient imbalance problems have already been initiated or are being planned in the coastal zones of the Baltic Sea. This includes harvesting of reed, macro algae and blue mussels as nutrient and energy natural resources. The potential and feasibility of such methods to form the basis for sustainable use of natural resources is governed by the ecological, technical, economic and social aspects associated with the whole chain of processes from biomass to end products, e.g. biogas, fertilizers, and wastes. As a first step in a sustainability assessment, we show that biogas production from algae and reed is associated with a net energy benefit. Blue mussels do not result in a net energy benefit if used for biogas production, but represent the most efficient way of removing nutrients. Based on these preliminary results, we suggest that biogas production from reed and macro algae is worthy of further investigation, whereas for blue mussels, an alternative product must be found.

The creation and sound management of large protected areas in the Sahara is a sure means to addressing biodiversity loss. However, achieving this goal is rarely accepted by all the stakeholders involved and can generate confusion and instability: leading to land degradation instead of sustainable use of natural resources. Water is a key resource in the desert and governments, supported by donors and development partners, are willing to multiply boreholes and provide free water to a maximum number of herders ignoring that this can lead to overgrazing, habitat loss and desertification. Over the years, several innovative conservation projects in eastern Niger have been undertaken, run by the NGO Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF), with the support of the local population. Amongst these initiatives, a management committee composed of local leaders, community game guards and project staff was set up to assist with habitat protection in the Termit Massif: the last stronghold for an amazing array of species including the critically endangered dama gazelle and addax. Traditionally, the pastures of the Termit Massif are used by herders when pasture areas around the permanent wells outside of the Massif is not good enough. By curtailing the sinking of wells in the Massif, the management committee is endeavouring to manage sustainably the area’s precious and fragile natural resources. This article argues that innovation, awareness and traditional knowledge are a good combination to develop wise practices leading to sustainable use of the scarce natural resources for the benefit of both local communities and wildlife. Examples of the practices developed by the project are presented in this article and the challenges faced for the management of the recently gazetted Termit & Tin Toumma National Nature Reserve discussed.

In this chapter the fate of those species that have been directly exploited for human use, either as food, materials, pets or status symbols is considered. The reasons for use, patterns of exploitation and the reasons why the harvesting has often been non-sustainable are discussed. A series of examples and case studies are used to illustrate the wide range of species that are threatened in this way. By reading this chapter students will gain an understanding of what is meant by sustainable and non-sustainable use of natural resources; gain a knowledge of the extent of exploitation of wild species and of the different types of trade that result in exploitation. What is sustainable use? The concept of sustainable use has different meanings in different contexts, for example, it would have different interpretations in economics and ecology. In conservation terms it generally means the use of species or natural communities in such a way that ensures they will remain in a ‘healthy’ state and be available for use by subsequent generations. The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (commonly known as the ‘Earth Summit’; see Chapter 7) brought the idea of sustainable development to the centre of the world political agenda. Central to the idea of sustainable development is the sustainable use of natural resources, including wild populations of animals and plants. We saw in Chapter 3 that human societies and economic systems still operate under the ‘Frontier Ethic’: ‘there's always more and its all for us’.

Giller, K. E., C. Leeuwis, J. A. Andersson, W. Andriesse, A. Brouwer, P. Frost, P. Hebinck, I. Heitkönig, M. K. van Ittersum, N. Koning, R. Ruben, M. Slingerland, H. Udo, T. Veldkamp, C. van de Vijver, M. T. van Wijk, and P. Windmeijer. 2008. Competing claims on natural resources: what role for science?. Ecology and Society 13(2): 34. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-02595-130234

A participatory approach of local stakeholders is important to create a balance between nature protection and the sus-tainable use of natural resources in a nature reserve and its vicinity area. The zoning and management policy of biosphere reserves (BRs) is a good example of this idea, especially for island reserves. Yakushima was inscribed as a World Natural Heritage (WH) in 1993. Almost all of its residents did not remember that Yakushima was a BR. In addition, Yakushima has some problems in nature reserve management. Overabundance of the deer population is a critical threat to both agricul -ture and natural vegetation in the world heritage site. There are too many tourists visiting the WH site and Nagata-hama beach. The beach is a Ramsar site and one of the most important spawning grounds of sea turtles in the north Pacific. Now, residents and the municipality have decided to reactivate the Yakushima BR. Although the Ministry of the Environ -ment of Japan has an initiative to manage the WH and the Ramsar site, the BR is managed by the municipality and local stakeholders. Local activities of both nature conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources are encouraged in the BR site. The islanders willingly included all areas of the island into the BR site. Scientists who have participated in the Society of Yakushimaology have played a significant role to build trust between local stakeholders and to seek feasible policies on the nature reserves. The concept of the “Yakushima Environmental Culture Village” is a good model for the extension plan of the Yakushima and Kuchinoerabujima BRs.

The urgency of this article is to conduct a thorough analysis of the legal regulation of the right to receive public information about the state of use of natural resources in Ukraine, as well as to determine the peculiarities of access to such in-formation. The purpose of this article is to study the peculiarities of legal regulation of access and to receive information about the sustainable use of natural resources in Ukraine. Among the methods by which the study of this topic was con-ducted, one can distinguish: dialectical method, formalization method, legal method, formal-legal method, hermeneutical method, logical-legal method, sys-tematic, structural-functional method, axiomatical method, methods of induction and deduction, method of analysis and synthesis, etc. In the process of research the basic concepts, terms and phenomena, which are applied in the course of the given research, definition of the normative-legal base, which regulates the recep-tion of public information about the sustainable use of natural resources by the population, analysis of peculiarities of access to public information about the state of use of natural resources, were given; analysis of experience of regulation of the right to receive public information on the state of environment and use of natural resources in foreign countries and introduction of such experience in Ukrainian leg-islation. In the course of the research, author's definitions were formed, in particular, there are "public information", "environmental information", "right to access to public information about the use of natural resources", etc. The regulatory and legal framework for the regulation of access to public information was studied and the peculiarities of obtaining information about the state of use of natural re-sources in Ukraine were analysed; international experience of regulation of the rights of the population to receive public information has been studied. Forecasting the further development of the legal regulation of access to public information on the state of use of natural resources in Ukraine, it should be noted that the most expedient and effective way is to take into account the experience of regulation of this sphere in foreign countries. The practical significance of the research lies in de-veloping a strategy for improving the legal regulation of access to public infor-mation in Ukraine based on the obtained research results, in particular the use of experience of regulating access to public information in foreign countries.

The relevance of this study is caused by the need to solve problems of sustainable use of natural resources in the Arctic region when implementing projects with international participation. The paper highlighted a number of the most significant problems of the region, which destroy the ecological balance. The areas of development of the natural resources of the Arctic region have been determined with the participation of countries interested in this, in particular, China, which is striving to become the leading export world power and influence the sustainable use of natural resources in the Arctic region. The paper analyzes the interests of China in the Arctic, identifies the strategy of China’s behavior and the main directions of international cooperation with the countries of Northern Europe and North America in the Arctic region. China is increasingly pursuing its Arctic policy, and international cooperation is an important way for China to strengthen its research and economic potential in the Arctic. The dominant interests of China in the Arctic are: the development of polar scientific research; the creation of a transport and logistics system; development of hydrocarbon energy and mineral resources; development of systems based on renewable energy sources; maintaining ecological balance, including through the development of a green economy in the region; environmental protection. In this regard, China is taking active steps to establish strong bilateral and multilateral relations with Western countries, the so-called Arctic G8 countries, and seeks to promote its interests in the region under consideration, including through large investments in the Arctic projects of these countries.