Sustainable Natural Resource Management

Dear Colleagues,

2050: A world in crisis? Scientific research is increasingly predicting that within the next 30 years, our global human population will exceed 9 billion people; food, energy, and other resource shortages will lead to riots and political destabilization; we will have exceeded the 2° C threshold for dangerous global warming causing widespread drought and desertification; global ocean fisheries will collapse; significant deforestation and mass species extinctions will have occurred; society will be facing enormous social and economic burdens due to the obesity and overweight epidemic; 75 percent of the world’s population will be experiencing freshwater scarcity; and there will be interstate military conflicts over access to food and water resources. While such ‘doomsday‘ scenarios may not all come to pass, the urgency of realizing integrated and sustainable natural resource management praxis has never been greater. However, how can understandings of sustainability be more meaningfully and realistically operationalized in the day-to-day management and governance of our precious natural resource systems, systems that are inextricably connected to human identities, cultures, quality of life, and general wellbeing?

This Special Issue seeks to identify pragmatic approaches to institutionalizing sustainable natural resource management, policy, and governance in different contexts internationally. The focus is on renewable natural resources, “including biotic (such as biomass, plants, and animals) and abiotic (such as freshwater, fresh air, soil fertility, and elements like carbon and nitrogen), that can be regenerated or replaced by ecological processes on a relevant timescale (Hens and Quynh, 2008). Renewable natural resource systems include fisheries, forestry, foods, medicines, tourism, agriculture, renewable energy, and water. Recognizing that such systems are inherently interlinked deeply challenges our social, ecological, and physical boundaries, necessitating more networked and open approaches to research and governance. Empirical research papers offering novel insights for public policy across institutional, organizational, and disciplinary boundaries are particularly encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Gordon M. Hickey
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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