Natural Resource Management

Charlotte Epstein

Natural resource management refers to the ways in which societies manage the supply of or access to the natural resources upon which they rely for their survival and development. Insofar as human collectives are fundamentally dependant on natural resources, ensuring the ongoing access to or a steady provision of natural resources has always been central to their organization. Historically, this access has been organized through a range of schemes varying in degrees of formality and involvement from the central authorities (or state). Thus, natural resource management goes to the heart of governance, if by governance we mean the regulatory schemes by which societies organize themselves. Specific governance issues include, for example, establishing hierarchies between the different resources or deciding which ones are “strategic” and need to be secured as a priority. A “natural” resource is one that is afforded by nature without human intervention; hence the fertile lands or the ...

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