Natural Resources Conservation: The Human Dimensions

Despite increasing attention to natural resources conservation, protection measures and polices have not been successful. As a result, water, soil, forest and natural habitats’ loss and degradation have increased during the last decades. These degradations of natural resources have raised serious concern. Some believe that the world is running out of natural resources. Also, there is an increasing awareness towards human interventions which inevitably contribute to intensified environmental destruction due to environment policies that grew from the technocratic utilitarianism. This approach considers the natural resources degradation as a part of the natural functioning of the nature and ignores the people-environment interaction. Sustainability is achieved if the conservation policies are considered in light of comtemporary conservation views. Contemporary natural resource management is expanding its focus as a result of the dynamic interchange between conservationists and local people. To attain this goal, it is imperative to pay adequate attention to the social-ecological integration in a systematic and inclusive manner, and understand the humanistic aspects of ecological adaptation. Therefore, the role of culture, values and attitudes in the process of planning, dissemination and implementation of conservation programs must be noticed.