The natural resources management project list last year was dynamic and varied. As a co-facilitator of the North American section of Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development, IISD helped to place the issue of sustainability on the North American mining agenda. Two important long-term, community projects--Skownan and Myrada--drew to a close; work proceeded in the area of environment and security; and Art Hanson continued to advocate for creative and sustainable ocean policy.

Achievements and Highlights

• As part of the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) global initiative, MMSD North America was created to contribute suggestions as to how the North American Mining and Minerals industry could achieve sustainable development. Activities last year included a groundbreaking dialogue on mining and sustainability attended by 100 people in Vancouver; six workshops; and two publications. So far, MMSD North America has engaged numerous communities of interest across the continent and has helped put sustainability on the industry's agenda. The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) was commissioned by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development to manage the global MMSD initiative. IISD's partner for the North American portion of the project is the Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno.

• IISD concluded a two-and-a-half-year partnership with MYRADA, an India-based organization working in the areas of community development, poverty alleviation and micro-credit. The project was established to field-test the use of appreciative inquiry, a methodology that celebrates local history and achievements, and uses these discovered strengths to develop and achieve a vision for the future. IISD published a field guide--The Positive Path: Using Appreciative Inquiry in Rural Indian Communities--as a lasting legacy of the project and a resource for practitioners. The publication is available at http://www.iisd.org/pdf/
  2001/ai_the_positive_path.pdf (2,532 kb) .

• The project "Integrating Aboriginal Values into Land Use and Resource Management" also wrapped up this year. Working in partnership with Manitoba's Skownan First Nation, the project used appreciative inquiry and participatory video to explore and report on the values community members hold with respect to the land and their vision for its future use. Project activities included the production of two videos and the organization of several community workshops and focus group meetings. The project's final report is posted at http://www.iisd.org/pdf/
  skownan_final_nopics.pdf (649 kb) .

• In collaboration with IUCN - The World Conservation Union, IISD launched a program on environment and security. The goal is to translate the emerging under standing of the links between natural resource management and human security into practical tools for decision-makers. Among other achievements, the IISD-IUCN partnership collaborated on the production of draft guidelines on conflict prevention for the UN Global Compact's Business and Conflict Dialogue and launched a Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation task force. A book on conservation and human security, including a collection of case studies from around the globe will be published in time for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The Environment and Security web site is at http://www.iisd.org/natres/
  security.

• The oceans have been an important part of Interim Director Art Hanson's workload over the past year as Oceans Ambassador for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Art facilitated three meetings of federal officials representing various departments as part of the preparations prior to a cabinet submission this past fall. The subjects of the meetings were socio-economic, environmental and international aspects that would be important to consider within a national ocean strategy. He testified at a special meeting of the Canadian Senate Fisheries Committee convened so that the Ocean Ambassadors could provide direction to the Committee on the issue of ocean habitat use. Art was called upon frequently this year as a speaker and advisor in the development of materials and ideas in the lead-up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

• Agriculture and water were prominent elements of our advisory services. In his role as Special Advisor to the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE), Art Hanson supported a major study on how ecological fiscal reform could be applied for conservation on agricultural lands. He also has worked closely with NRTEE Conservation of Natural Heritage Program to develop new approaches for protection of whole landscapes. As a member of the Canadian Biotechnology Advisory Committee (CBAC), Art collaborated on a major report addressing genetically modified food regulation and research needs. Finally, he is assisting Environment Canada on the global water agenda and on the Canada-UNDP Equator Initiatives.

Long-term Vision

Within the larger context of integrated and adaptive management policies, IISD's long-term natural resource vision is:

• to clarify and recommend better models for sustainable natural resource use;

• to assess the strengths, needs and role of local people and communities in developing and implementing sustainable resource management strategies;

• to encourage altered trade and investment patterns and the removal of perverse policies at all levels; and

• to better understand the role of conflict, governance and institutions as we progress toward sustainability.

From the Interim Director of Natural Resources Management...

"Sustainable development is clearly influencing how both natural resource business and the 'Five-NR' federal departments are conducting their activities. It is a pivotal time for moving towards integrative, adaptive management. We see effective champions emerging and will continue to support their efforts and provide context on key drivers. Many of the drivers are related to international trade, but increasingly it is factors such as carbon dioxide emissions, human health concerns and concern for nature that have become significant. The other side of our work--environment and security--will continue to grow in significance. Unless underlying problems such as poverty and poor governance are addressed, unsustainable resource use will contribute to the worst headlines of human suffering."

-Arthur J. Hanson, PhD