Environmental Aspects of Managing of Natural Resource Assets within the Military Sector

Abstract

Environmental aspects of managing natural resource assets within the military sector differs by degree, but not by principle, managing natural resource assets within the civilian sector. Within the time of NATO’s existence, comprehensive environmental laws, regulations and norms, and international conventions have been widely adopted. The same principles are found in most legal and administrative settings: polluter pays, public involvement and access to information, enforcement and compliance, regulations and norms apply to all (the level playing field), and a reliance on good science to guide action. Military natural resource assets, because of their size, longevity, and single owner/steward, contain many environmental and ecological assets of national importance. This intensifies the competition between preservation and alternative use. Environmental managers in NATO member and candidate countries face several common challenges including: effective response to laws, regulations and norms, deployment of new technology in a manner consistent with environmental stewardship, fulfillment of military operational objectives (and preserving the ability to do so into the future) in light of increasing competition for natural resources, and ‘beyond compliance’ management to take advantage of integrated risk assessments in a way that avoids future problems.