Key Message
The management of natural resources is on the frontline of the struggle for more sustainable and equitable development.
Team
 | · Henry David Venema Director - Sustainable Natural Resources Management | |
 | · Alec Crawford Project Officer | |
 | · Anne Hammill Senior Researcher | |
 | · Brian Davy Senior Fellow | |
 | · Bryan Oborne Associate | |
 | · Darren A. Swanson Senior Project Manager | |
 | · Dimple Roy Project Officer | |
 | · Keith Bezanson Senior Fellow | |
 | · Matthew McCandless Project Officer | |
 | · Ola Ullsten Senior Fellow | |
 | · Richard Grosshans Project Officer | |
| · Robert McLeman Associate | |
 | · Stephan Barg Associate | |
 | · Stephen Tyler Associate | |
 | · Tony Hodge Associate | |
 | · Vivek Voora Project Officer | |
Archives
Natural Resources
Building resilient ecosystems
What's New in Natural Resources?
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Natural environments are increasingly recognized as essential to human wellbeing. IISD has been working with Environment Canada to explore how to better manage natural environments by implementing the natural capital or environmental asset concept and assessing and valuing ecosystem services.
An Ecosystem Services Assessment of the Lake Winnipeg Watershed: Phase 1 Report - Southern Manitoba Analysis (PDF - 2.3 mb)
Assesses the ecosystem services provided by the current and pre-settlement distribution of southern Manitoba's natural capital or environmental assets, as this landscape contributes a substantial portion of the nutrient load flowing into Lake Winnipeg. The analysis is followed by a policy narrative that discusses the biophysical characteristics, economic and socio-political drivers that have transformed southern Manitoba.The analysis framework used for the study was inspired by The Natural Capital Approach: A Concept Paper (PDF - 1.5 mb), which set out to develop a way to better manage and value natural environments. The natural capital concept reconciles economic and environmental interests by incorporating the value of natural environments in decision-making.
The Sustainable Natural Resources Management (SNRM) program carries out policy research, provides advice and builds capacity for integrated, participatory and sustainable natural resources management. IISD's work in Sustainable Natural Resources Management recognizes that the litmus test of good policy—regardless of its origins (global, federal, provincial, municipal)—is if it promotes local resilience. IISD believes that adaptive management builds resilient ecosystems. "Adaptive management" views each management action as an opportunity to further learn how to adapt to changing circumstances—learning by judicious doing. IISD is committed to the research, dissemination and application of those policies, tools and techniques at all scales that build community-level resilience.
The SNRM program's current projects focus on Western Canadian water and agriculture. The Prairie Water Policy Symposium, held in 2005 in Winnipeg, convened 100 water experts to discuss IISD's research on cumulative stresses on prairie water and the capacity to manage adaptively. IISD is now pursuing policy research on the conjunction of Integrated Water Resources Management and Payments for Ecosystem Services in the Canadian Prairie context.
Application of the tools and methodologies being developed by the SNRM program extend well beyond the Canadian Prairies. SNRM's international work also emphasizes building community-scale resilience to environmental stressors such as climate change and natural hazards. The uniquely tragic events of the 2004 Asian tsunami spurred members of IISD's SNRM team to undertake Natural Disasters and Resource Rights: Building Resilience, Rebuilding Lives, a project funded by IISD's Innovation Fund. The project examined the role of resource rights (such as ownership of land, and access to sea and forest products) in community resilience to natural disasters and the effectiveness of post-disaster reconstruction.
IISD's work in the field of natural resources follows a tradition of non-partisan, multi-disciplinary research leading to practical policy advice, and cuts across the following areas.
Contents
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Water
Watersheds enable a place-based perspective for the effective management of water resources. integrated water resources management (IWRM) and the concept of ecological goods and services (EGS) are emerging as powerful policy concepts that frame modern water resources management. These two concepts form the basis of water-related research at IISD. -
Agriculture
The Canadian Prairies face multiple, ongoing crises including collapsed commodity prices, disastrous farm incomes and climate change. IISD's research is aimed at re-envisioning a sustainable system of prairie agriculture resilient to environmental and economic shocks and stresses. Current research uses the concepts of perennial and bio-dynamic cropping systems, ecological goods and services evaluation, and sustainable bio-energy production. -
Environment and Security
Since 1999, IISD has been examining how better environmental management can contribute to human security, including sustainable livelihoods; resilience to disasters; disease prevention; conflict avoidance/peace-building; and post-conflict reconstruction. Facilitated through partnerships with governments, NGOs and multilateral institutions, this work seeks to offer practical tools for addressing the links between environment and security.
The Prairie Water Policy Symposium (PWPS)
The Prairie Water Policy Symposium (PWPS) was hosted by IISD on September 22-23, 2005, in Winnipeg, at the forks of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers. This event brought together approximately 100 policy-makers, researchers and scientists from across the country. Symposium presentations are available in Real video format as well as PowerPoint.
The PWPS discussions and recommendations evolved into our current explorations into sustainable water resources management using a “Soft Paths” approach in Manitoba, and research into institutional capacity frameworks for integrated water resources management and linkages to payments for ecosystem services on the Prairies.
Key Publication
Conserving the Peace: Resources, Livelihoods and Security
» Mark Halle, Richard Matthew, Jason Switzer, IISD, 2002.Conserving the Peace is a collection of case studies illustrating the relationships among security, the environment and human well-being. Collectively, the studies make the case that conservation activities can motivate peace-building, thereby creating a stable future for all. More...
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