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Sustainability, Ecosystem Management, and Indicators: Thinking Globally and Acting Locally in the 21st Century
Author(s) -
Pajak Paul
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1577/1548-8446(2000)025<0016:semait>2.0.co;2
Subject(s) - sustainability , environmental resource management , sustainability science , business , ecosystem services , ecosystem , ecosystem health , population , sustainability organizations , environmental planning , ecology , geography , economics , sociology , demography , biology
Sustainability is widely recognized as the capacity of an area to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Humans ultimately depend on natural ecosystems to meet most of their basic needs. However, compelling scientific evidence indicates that ecological and societal health is threatened worldwide, especially aquatic ecosystems. Our population densities, consumption, and technology are among the pervasive pressures connecting and affecting sustainability at every level. These complexities are also overwhelming most local decision‐makers' capacity to assess such problems or respond with effective solutions. To address these challenges, many agencies and organizations are pursuing the goal of sustainability through more ecologically and socially inclusive “ecosystem‐based management” approaches. These approaches generally encompass the broad domains of environment, society, and related institutions. Numerous conceptual frameworks and hundreds of indicators are being proposed to quantify and simplify these more comprehensive methods. However, none of the frameworks bring together a universal, but relatively small, set of components needed to ensure the integrity of all ecosystems, societies, and decision‐making processes—at all levels . This paper attempts to provide such a framework. To do this, widely accepted principles from ecology, human health, and management science were identified and integrated into a single, operational framework to help manage for sustainability. The flexible framework includes 13 core components believed necessary for “integrity”: ecosystem diversity, productivity, chemical cycling, and disturbance; societies that provide for physiological needs, safety/security, love and belonging, self‐esteem, and self‐actualization; and decision‐making processes and institutions that are results‐oriented, truth‐seeking, consent‐based, and adaptable. Also presented are: (1) candidate indicators from global, national, and local efforts; (2) important indicator selection criteria; (3) “amoeba plots” to diagnose and illustrate sustainability; (4) an adaptive management cycle using indicators; and (5) recommendations to expedite sustainability indicator development and use. The consummate role of human conscience in achieving sustainability is emphasized.