Sustainable resource management has become the most hotly debated and challenging concept in environmental research and development policy. Based largely on a notion defined by the Brundtland Commission a decade ago, calls for attention to sustainability have become de rigueur in the academic, conservation, and international development communities. Discussions of the issues involved have led to general agreement on four key points: policy action is often required in the face of uncertainty and prior to attaining a full scientific consensus; environmental policy must confront and address the political economy of resource exploitation; current economic theory provides an inadequate foundation for the valuation and management of many ecosystems and natural resources; and interdisciplinary research is fundamental to understanding sustainability.
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