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Centre for Environment and SocietyEnvironment and Society rationaleThere is a growing sense that environmental problems are becoming more complex and intractable. At the same time, uncertainty about the future is growing. We know that natural resources and people are inextricably linked, and almost every environment in the world has been modified by people. Much of what we currently value about the environment exists because of the positive actions of human managers. Equally, most of what we have lost is because of people and their institutions. It is increasingly recognised that a well-managed environment provides goods and services that are essential for welfare and economic growth - from the wildlife we appreciate to the jobs we need. Yet the interactions between society and environment are complex and ever-changing. A feature of natural resources is that they are valued, used and influenced by many different actors. These stakeholders inevitably have different interests and different values. Most natural resources are forms of common property - such as the air we breathe, the farmed landscape, the birds in the fields and hedges, the fisheries in our seas, and the forests and mountains. And common properties need special types of collective and co-management to be sustained and improved. Too little is known about how to bring together people and groups to ensure the protection and proper management of natural resources. Conflicts are common and are manifested at different levels, such as international conflicts over atmospheric pollution; regional conflicts over fisheries; and local conflicts over forests, farms and rivers. What is needed is a deeper understanding of the processes underlying environment-society changes, and the technological, social, institutional and policy strategies and options for natural and social regeneration. The Director |
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