Natural Resources Law and Policy in International Context
Natural Resources
The Centre's focus on natural resources reflects a holistic
perspective on environmental management. The traditional demarcation
between commercial aspects of resource development and environmental
aspects is unsatisfactory.
As humanity leaves behind the 20th century, understandings are
moving from environmental protection predominantly by creation
of parklands and control of public nuisance pollution, to sustainable
development through integrated management of natural resources.
Those resources include water, air, soil, minerals, biodiversity,
fisheries and forests, which must be maintained so as not to
compromise the abilities of future generations to meet their
own needs.
Although meaningful application of the sustainable development
paradigm in specific circumstances is uncertain, the imperative
of effective natural resources management in modern life is
not.
Law and Policy Studies through the Centre for Natural Resources Law and
Policy focus on both legal and policy instruments, including
economic instruments, for the sustainable management of natural
resources. Students are encouraged to address not only the existing
law but also alternatives, such as legal reforms and non-legal
approaches.
Critical examination of contemporary paradigms is promoted and
a broad range of perspectives on natural resources law and environmental
law is considered. The Centre promotes an understanding among
its students of the realities of natural resources management,
recognising the constraints of modern political machinery and
of governmental infrastructures. It therefore seeks to examine
innovative, pragmatic and effective approaches to the problems
of sustainable management of natural resources. Regulatory tools
and decision-making structures that can resolve conflicts in
natural resource allocation and which are designed to be implementable
or enforceable are examined.
International Context Sustainable management of natural resources is a global
problem, sometimes requiring international solutions. In what
ways are competing interests resolved through agreements at
the international level and how effective are the regimes adopted?
A critical focus in the work of the Centre is the extent to
which international law is can be or is implemented in domestic
settings.
Australia is a party to a wide range of international conventions
and its implementation experiences serve as useful case studies.
Implementation in comparable jurisdictions is also examined
for legal and policy models for effective management of natural
resources. As natural resources development is of fundamental
importance to the economic aspirations of countries in Asia
and the Pacific, regional agreements, implementation experiences
and the regional geo-political context is given particular attention.
