Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
adaptation to the prioritisation of ecosystem health in policy-making.
151
Repeat exposure to the conduct of reviews would also assist those involved
in making policy with forming a clear understanding of what the statutory
objectives and principles require and with tailoring policy-making pro-
cesses to serve these requirements.
152
A rolling review of policy is, in any event, essential under a legal
framework for ecologically oriented policy-making in four respects.
The
rst is that the regular reappraisal of policy options is important if
the substitution principle is to be observed. New technologies whose
commercial deployment was not feasible during previous review periods
might be ready for ranking amongst other possibilities for meeting needs
in different policy areas. The use of options for which further informa-
tion has become available concerning their compatibility with maintain-
ing the functionality of ecosystems might also be reassessed.
Second, an ability to adapt decisions to new information concerning
ecosystem behaviour and the likely impacts of activities on ecosystem
health is an essential feature of a legal systemwhose purpose is to protect
natural systems of which our current knowledge and understanding is
limited. For example, although we may have some dif
culty with estab-
lishing the exact causes of ecological degradation, evidence that the rate
of this is increasing may require an intensi
cation of efforts to reduce
anthropogenic stresses and the shortening of timescales for achieving
reductions or for phasing out activities. The regular review of policies
would go some way to establishing adaptive management as a standard
practice at this level of decision-making.
The third is, as I argue in
Chapter 7
, that concerted research pro-
grammes should be put in place to improve knowledge and understand-
ing of ecosystem behaviour, of what it is that makes ecosystems resilient,
and of how human activities affect this property and trigger changes in
ecological states. The regular review process would allow the improved
understanding of ecosystems that this research would hopefully yield to
be used both in the review of policy options and in improving the ef
cacy
of the framework
'
s mechanisms for producing ecologically desirable
outcomes.
151
R. Connor and S. Dovers,
'
Principles and Elements of Institutional Change for
Sustainable Development
in R. Connor and S. Dovers (eds) Institutional Change for
Sustainable Development (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2004), pp. 221
'
-
2.
152
Connor and Dovers,
'
Sustainable Management
'
,p.125;Ross,
'
Sustainable Development
'
,
pp. 234
-
5.
