Open AccessAccounting for unintended consequences of resource policy: Connecting research that addresses displacement of environmental impacts
Author(s) -
Lewison Rebecca L.,
Johnson Andrew F.,
Gan Jianbang,
Pelc Robin,
Westfall Katie,
Helvey Mark
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
conservation letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.153
H-Index - 79
ISSN - 1755-263X
DOI - 10.1111/conl.12628
Subject(s) - sustainability , resource (disambiguation) , unintended consequences , natural resource , environmental resource management , business , environmental degradation , resource depletion , natural resource economics , environmental planning , economics , political science , computer science , ecology , environmental science , computer network , law , biology
Natural resource policies enacted to protect environmental integrity play an important role in promoting sustainability. However, when resources are shared ecologically, economically, or through a common, global interest, policies implemented to protect resource sustainability in one domain can displace, and in some cases magnify, environmental degradation to other domains. Although such displacement has been recognized as a fundamental challenge to environmental and conservation policy within some resource sectors, there has been little cross‐disciplinary and cross‐sectoral integration to address the problem. This suggests that siloed knowledge may be impeding widespread recognition of the ubiquity of displacement and the need for mitigation. Here, we connect research across multiple disciplines to promote a broader discussion and recognition of the processes and pathways that can lead to displaced impacts that countermand or undermine resource policy and outline a number of approaches that can mitigate displacement.