Leandro de Sant’Anna Knorre, #49301120

1

The midway: human dimensions approach to natural conservation matters.

I consider the human dimensions approach to be ideal when it comes to conservation policies,

as it can be a common denominator among many different perspectives. It is a less difficult

way in which extreme understandings on how to relate with the environment – for instance, a

biocentric perspective, when opposing to a short-term centered economic perspective – can

agree on certain common points found in an anthropocentric approach.

That bias has its centre on the needs and aspirations of the humankind in order to decide,

when regarding to conservation subjects, the better way to relate with the natural

environment. Therefore, it shall consider many diverse aspects on how to use natural

resources so that it is possible to benefit both the present and future generations without

harming the ecosystems more than necessary – or, even better, not harming them at all.

Therefore, human dimension in ecosystem management has been conceptualized by the

National Human Dimensions Task Group (USDA Forest Service) as “an integral component

of Ecosystem Management recognizing that people are part of ecosystems, that people’s

pursuits of past, present, and future desires, needs and values (including perceptions, beliefs,

values, and behaviors) have and will continue to influence ecosystems, and that ecosystem

management must include consideration of the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, social,

cultural and economic well-being of people and communities” (Cordell et al., 1999).

The development of the human dimensions perspective, as shown by Cordell et al. (1999) has

led to four main principles:

1) Humans and ecosystems interact and even are mutually dependant. Even more

important while the population grows as quickly as in the past millennia, we should

take this fact into account in decision-making processes.

The midway: human dimensions approach to natural conservation matters.

2

2) Ecosystems are naturally complex and consequently their management can be very

intricate. Especially true when adding human factors to the ecosystems – which were

already complex and hard to predict, even when untouched.

3) Time and spatial scales may influence the way to manage ecosystems.

4) Human conscious interactions can lead to a sustainable management of ecosystems.

Human dimensions may allow the economic viability in determined areas, in opposition to a

more extreme biocentric approach. However, sometimes the social tension arose from the

opposition of economic interests versus conservation – for instance, of endangered depletable

resources - cannot be avoided, as the better solution from a long term perspective can be

letting the natural processes take their own courses with the minimum interference possible.

An extremely greedy perspective is either not desirable, not only to the environment, but to

the human species as well, because it could lead to the exhaustion of resources,

compromising the well being of future generations. That is why it is so necessary to take into

consideration the value of internalities and externalities involved in the productive cycles,

even those that are not currently valuated, as in Knowler & Dust (2008) and Ward (2006).

Some services rendered by forests and usually not taken into account are the provision of

clean air and water and the absorption of carbon dioxide.

An equilibrated approach to conservation that takes into account the human dimensions in all

its relevant aforementioned aspects is the most neutral way to conciliate the diverse interests

that people can have in natural resources. To reach the aimed social peace, conciliating the

different interests, is a challenge of our time in many areas, remarkably in conservation, an

area in which equilibrating natural resources rational exploitation and the health of the

ecosystems is so relevant. However, it is indispensable in order to generate wealth and to

respect both the humankind and the nature, as a whole.

The midway: human dimensions approach to natural conservation matters.

3

References

Cordell, H. K., A. P. Hoover, G. R. Super, & C. H. Manning. (1999). Adding human

dimensions to ecosystem-based management of natural resources. In H.K. Cordell &

J.C. Bergstrom (Eds.), Integrating Social Sciences with Ecosystem Management:

Human dimensions in assessment, policy, and management (pp. 1-12). Champaign,

IL: Sagamore Publishing.

Knowler, D., & K. Dust. (2008). Dollars and Sense: The Economic Rationale to Protect

Spotted Owl Habitat in British Columbia. Vancouver BC: David Suzuki Foundation,

EcoJustice, and the Western Canada Wilderness Committee. Retrieved from

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/downloads/2008/Knowler-Dust.pdf.

Leopold, A. (2003). The land ethic. In D. VanDeVeer & C. Pierce (Eds.), The Environmental

Ethics & Policy Book (3rd ed. pp. 215-224). Toronto ON: Wadsworth Publishing.

Ward, F. A. (2006). Economic thinking. In Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

(pp. 14-34). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.