resource management

1. INTRODUCTIONTO
RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
IFFAT ARA
Lecturer
Dept. of Geomatics

2. Basic
Concepts

3. Resource Allocation

4. Resource Development

5. Resource Management

6. Resource Management
• A form of decision-making concerned with the
allocation and conservation of natural resources.
The main emphases are on: an understanding of
the processes involved in the exploitation of
resources, the analysis of the allocation of
resources, and the development and evaluation of
management strategies in resource allocation.
(Oxford Dictionary of Geography)

7. Resource Management
• However,
resource management is more comprehensive
and positive term which allows resource allocation to
be dominated neither by market forces nor by quasi-
political forums but by a combination of and
compromises in social, cultural, economic, ecological
and industrial process.

8. Resource Conservation
•An implicit streak or undertone or no use
or preservation.
•It reflects no growth

9. THE EVOLUTION OFTHE
FIELD OF RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT

10. The Evolution of the Field of Resource
Management
• Before 1960s RM were studied in agriculture, forestry, soil
science and wildlife conservation schools
• By 1970s, it was land use and resource assessment,
environmental science, resource development and
conservation, environmental management or resource
management
• At infancy stage it put emphasis on pollution, soil erosion,
deforestation etc.
• None of the studies focused on developing countries

11. The Evolution of the Field of Resource
Management (Contd.)
• Main drawback was it included natural resources (minerals,
forests, land, fisheries), other intangible assets such as common
property resources (air, water) were not considered
• In 1960s, concern arises due to the fear of increasing resource
scarcity, human ability to destroy, and inability to substitute
resources
• It was mixed approach of environmental quality and limits to
growth
• RM field of study has evolved in response to the shifts in the
perceived values of land, labor, technology and capital.

12. RM in Pre-industrial/Pre-colonial Period
• Poorly developed technology to exploit resources– Less
population and consumption
• In relative term resources were scared but in absolute
terms they were abundant
• Economy was poorly developed– Resource exploitation
was labor intensive, and resource allocation was based on
social norms, customs and traditions

13. RM in Pre-industrial/Pre-colonial Period
• Damage was caused by extreme fluctuation of nature (diseases,
floods, droughts etc.)
• RM techniques were largely developed in order to cope with
physical limitations or fluctuations of nature
• Erosion, water scarcity and soil degradation were some of the
major problems
• RM techniques were terracing, irrigation, transhumances,
nomadism, use of fires, and shifting cultivation

14. RM in Industrial or Colonial period
• Technological advancement and enhancement in resource exploitation
• Technological advancement in the system minimized resource substitution
and importation
• Resources were both relatively and absolutely abundant
• Population growth and escalating demand of diverse resources
• Technology was overpriced and restricted
• Technology was backed by power and politics

15. • Emphasis on cash crops
• Resource was increasingly exploited inWestern perspectives
without considering local environment
• Local communities entered into the international production
system due to the centralized colonial system
• RM policy in developing countries focused largely on the
protection of few public domains such as national parks, game
reserves, national reserves, forest reserves
RM in Industrial or Colonial period

16. RM in Post-industrial or Post Colonial Period
• Mistakes in colonial period strengthen RM in post colonial period
• It was realized that private gain did not enhanced public welfare, hence
welfare economics was incorporated in RM
• Public participation began to play vital role in RM
• Multidisciplinary projects were initiated including environmental quality
and dignity of life
• RM focused on protection and enhancement of environmental quality

17. RM in Post-industrial or Post Colonial Period
• Guideline for using common property resources
• Colonial roles and regulations were gradually modified
• Population in cash economy increased– Investment in education and
industry was significantly increased
• Until 1970s, env. concerns in developing countries were triggered by the
fears of population growth, reducing ag. productivity, soil erosion,
unaffordable oil price, inflation, unemployment, and poverty
• Currently RM issues in developing countries focuses rising and sustaining
high level of productivity without environmental impairment

18. PERCEPTION OF
RESOURCE
AVAILABILITY

19. Changing Perception
MajorPeriods
1850-1925
1925-1950
1950-196-
Post-1960
Present

20. 1850-1925
• Era of wasteful resource use
• Public belief – “Nature is limitless storehouse of
resource”
• Unchecked and wasteful exploitation of resource
• Some attention towards conservation of natural
resource

21. 1925-1950
• Transition period of rapidly increasing
demand for raw materials
• Resource use on second world war
• Emphasis on self-sufficiency of raw materials

22. 1950-1960
• Relative shortage of resources
• Rapid industrial growth
• Urban expansion
• Consciousness about the endangering environment

23. Post-1960
• Growing concern for environmental crisis
• Ecological disaster
• Crisis resulted into-
• Cooperative Environmental Policies
• Regional Economic Development
• Rational Resource Planning
• Increased Public Awareness
• Rise of Public Action

24. Present Phase
• Growing concern for resource inadequacy
• Exponential growth of resource
• Shortage of certain resource
• Urban growth to ecological imbalance
• Ecosystem disequilibrium

25. MAJOR APPROACHES
IN RM

26. Major Approaches in RM
Spatial Approach
Ecological Approach
Economic Approach
Technological Approach
Ethnological Approach

27. Spatial Approach
• Geography is the science of spatial distribution and believed that an objective of
geographic research must be an understanding of the evolution of space contents as it
is influenced by the physical, biotic, and cultural process (Akerman1958)
• Geography’s focus is to account for the locations and spatial arrangements of
phenomena on earth surface (McCarty 1963)
• Geographers are concerned about how physical space is structured, how men relate
through space, how men have organized their societies in space, and how the
conception and use of space have changed (Morrill (1970)
• Geography differentiated itself from the other branches of science by the questions
posed about location, spatial structure, and spatial process (Abler, Adams and Gold
1971)

28. Ecological Approach
• The allocation and management of resources on the basis of an
understanding of the functional components of the physical and
biological environment, and the relationship among the
components
• Geography’s view should be concerned with the mutual relation
between people and their environment (Barrows 1923)
• Key concepts of ecological approach are community, succession
and climax
• However, core message is the allocation of resources in a manner
that minimizes environmental impairments

29. Ecological Approach (Contd.)
• Ecosystem inventory to determine community zones (open water,
swamps, mixed forests)
• Identification of natural process that lead to stability and determination
of the limiting factors (slope, alkalinity, water table, altitude, external
factors)
• Analysis of inventory data to evaluate the functional significance of the
ecosystem components
• Recommendation of alternative uses based on the established functional
significance (potential intensive use areas, sensitive areas, recreation
areas)

30. Economic Approach
• The essence of economic activity is the removal of materials from
the environment, their transformation by production and
consumption and their eventual return to the environment (Mills
1975)
• Main premise is resources are scarce and therefore resource users
have to make choice and optimize their use of resources
• The objective of resource allocation is to achieve economic
efficiency by minimizing production coasts (labourand capital) and
maximizing monetary profits

31. MajorAssumptions of Economic Approach
• Production coasts are freely substitutable for one
another in achieving a desired level of output (replace
of land by labour)
• Demand can be identified and consumer preferences
for different uses are known and can be compared
• Benefits from resource uses can be quantified in
monetary terms

32. Major Assumptions of Economic Approach (Contd.)
• Resource use has no external effects on the physical
environment and economic situation
• Main limitation is all resources are not similar to market
goods
• Quantifying or substituting is difficult i.e. visual beauty
• Willingness to pay or contingency evaluation are widely
used techniques

33. Technological Approach
• The effective application of economic approach
can be enhanced by development of technology
• Technology reduce production costs and increase
production with same volume of labor and
resources
• Technology is a promoter of economic growth

34. Technological Approach (Contd.)
• Resource use problems such as floods, droughts are solved by
building dams and irrigation– Pollution and Rapid resource
deterioration – Positive is technology reduces environmental
deterioration and resource scarcity
• Anti-pollution technology is cost effective in terms of health,
property, and environmental damage
• Erosion control to livestock breeding, to new crop variety, to
promote less damaging production methods

35. Ethnological Approach
• Fundamental issues of RM are the allocation of resources, setting of
priorities, determination of emphasis, and making of choices
• Public consent should be incorporated in resource allocation and
management everywhere (Firey1960)
• Ethnological approach stipulates that cultural differences in a part influence
the way people perceive and use resources of their environment
• The use of resource is related to specified cultural themes and perception of
resources– Conflicts in competing tribal interests such as CHT

36. Ethnological Approach (Contd.)
• Citizen participation in the development process
• Issue identification: the legal, administration and environmental constrains
• Collection of data
• Analysis of data
• Evaluation
• Decision implementation: involves feedback to public

37. Possible
Questions For
Exams?