The University of Hong Kong Department of Geography GEOG1016 Nature Conservation for Sustainable Societies (6 credits)

LECTURE 1: AN OVERVIEW OF NATURAL RESOURCES Lecture Topics INTRODUCTION Human versus resources Before the Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution A continuum of attitudes

ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS The world is in a mess Uniqueness of the human species Root causes of the crisis o Expanding population o Excessive consumption and depletion of resources o Pollution Changing public attitude Recent enlightened views

QUALITY OF LIFE Common yardstick Optimistic school Pessimistic (realistic?) school Moderate school

NATURE OF RESOURCES Stock Resource Reserve

CLASSIFICATION OF RESOURCES Stock resources (non-renewable) o Mineral and energy resources o Legacy of geological history o Concentration (grade) o Comsumption

Flow resources (renewable) o Water o Forest o Soil Continuous Resources o Solar energy o Amenity landscape, air, water

LECTURE 2: CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT Lecture Topics INTRODUCTION Human tenure of the Earth Human-biosphere relationship Specific impacts on the biosphere The need for conservation Conservation efforts

PERTINENT PARADIGMS OF RESOURCE USAGE Tragedy of the commons Spaceship Earth metaphor Gaia hypthesis Stewardship of the Earth

CONCEPTS OF CONSERVATION Definition of conservation Essence of conservation Conservation as an integral process

LIVING-RESOURCE CONSERVATION Nature of living resources Objectives of living-resource conservation

DEVELOPMENT AND CONSERVATION Apparent contradiction Plight of poor rural communities Alternative development path Synergy between development and conservation

PRINCIPLES AND AIMS OF CONSERVATION Principles of conservation Aims of conservation

LECTURE 3: WATER RESOURCE AND ITS SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT Lecture Topics INTRODUCTION GLOBAL PATTERN OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND General pattern The need to conserve

SOURCES AND USES OF WATER Water cycle Major sources of water Major users of water

HUMAN IMPACTS ON WATERS Massive inroads into the hydrological cycle Water diversion Hydropower generation and dam construction Downstream consequences of river-water abstraction Groundwater abstraction Wetland drainage Surface-water pollution Groundwater pollution Water pollution and human health

SUSTAINABLE WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Changing perception of water resource management Water conservation Irrigation Industry Municipal systems Water treatment and recycling

LECTURES 4 & 5: SOIL DEGRADATION AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE INTRODUCTION GLOBAL SOIL RESOURCE BASE Soil formation Cropland and soil losses Changing rate of soil losses Global soil degradation

CAUSATIVE FACTORS OF SOIL DEGRADATION Deforestation Overgrazing Agricultural activities Overexploitation of the vegetation for domestic use Bioindustrial and industrial activities

MAJOR PROCESSES OF SOIL DEGRADATION Basic typology Water erosion Wind erosion Chemical degradation Physical degradation

DEGREE OF SOIL DEGRADATION Light degradation Moderate degradation Strong degradation Extreme degradation

GLOBAL PATTERN OF SOIL DEGRADATION Overall scenario Water erosion Wind erosion Chemical degradation Physical degradation

UNSUSTAINABLE CONVENTIONAL AGRICULTURE Shortcomings of modern practices Conventional soil conservation

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE Conservation or minimum tillage Organic farming Farm cooperative Urban-environmental coalition Community-support agriculture (CSA) Economic incentives for soil conservation Save farmlands from urban encroachment Self-sufficient agricultural region Precision farming Principle of ecological economics Research and education

LECTURES 6 & 7: SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF TROPICAL FORESTS INTRODUCTION History and status of forest exploitation Rich supply of forest products Economic value of tangible products

SIGNIFICANCE OF TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS Physiognomy and biomass structure Economic and amenity uses Enormous biodiversity reservoir

DEGRADATION OF TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS Extent of degradation Forest farmers o Extent of the impacts o Shifting cultivators o Other forest farmers Timber extraction o Status of exploitation o New destructive technology o Inappropriate extraction method o Sustainable use of timber resource Commercial cash-crop plantations Cattle raising Firewood collection o Status of exploitation o Consequences of over-exploitation

o Measures for sustainable fuelwood usage Mining and oil extraction Large dam construction Natural and other human damages

CONSERVATION PRINCIPLES AND STRATEGIES Key principles Protection of existing forests

LECTURES 8 & 9: SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF MARINE FISHERIES INTRODUCTION GLOBAL FISHERY STATUS Oceans as global commons Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

PREVALENCE OF OVERFISHING Overfishing factors Overfishing scenario

SALVAGING GLOBAL FISHERY Factors of fishing yield Conserving fish stocks Towards sustainable yield Reducing impacts of bycatch Promises of mariculture

CASE STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL WHALING Resource and status History of whaling control Other protection measures

LECTURES 10 & 11: BIODIVERSITY STATUS AND CONSERVATION INTRODUCTION NATURE AND TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY What is biodiversity Biodiversity hierarchy Spatial variations in biodiversity

SIGNIFICANCE OF BIODIVERSITY Basic considerations Utilitarian reasons Precautionary value Ethical justification Aesthetic justification

BIODIVERSITY AS A RESOURCE Promises of biotechnology Food Pharmaceuticals

HUMAN IMPACTS ON BIODIVERSITY Threats on biodiversity Pressures and losses Species at risk

MAINTENANCE OF BIODIVERSITY Basic issues The ecosystem or habitat approach The species-based approach In situ conservation Ex situ conservation

PROTECTED AREA SYSTEMS IUCN classification National Protected Area System International Protected Area Systems

INTERNATIONAL CONSERVATION EFFORTS Conventional in Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Convention on Biological Diversity Other relevant multilateral treaties

LECTURE 12: TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE INTRODUCTION ECONOMICS AND DEVELOPMENT Basic market-economies tenets Ecological flaws of market economies Misconceptions on Economy and Environment

TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY Economics of resource management More measures for sustainable economics

TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS Eliminate frontier ethics Return to sustainable ethics