Increasingly, we are beginning to understand
that productive agricultural systems and conservation
for Ecologically Sustainable Development must be planned
and integrated at larger spatial scales (broader than
catchments in some cases) in a way which will not undermine
the capital base of natural resources and productivity
for future generations. Recognition of the need for bioregional
approaches has grown out of the multi-disciplinary areas
such as ecosystem management and landscape ecology.
Bioregional planning provides an extensive,
integrative framework for objective assessment and management
to draw together land use, ESD, conservation and socio-economic
objectives. These relate directly to emerging policy and
program directions of government at all levels (e.g.,
regional vegetation strategies and plans).
There is a concurrent need for integrated,
coordinated research, teaching, and public communication
and extension with a focus on regional landscapes, their
communities and other interacting components. The UNESCO
Centre for Bioregional Resource Management (CBRM) is intended
as a community resource and may contribute in several
ways.
What's in it for you?
• Database management services,
GIS cartographic services, access to data/information
in mapped format.
• Spatial attributing (accurate
longs & lats) for projects, sites etc mapped on g.i.s.
So that information can be integrated in a spatial context
- how they relate to each other 'on-the-ground' and across
the landscape. (e.g., A masters student is going to work
with Kath Wray to help map on gis the veg. Corridors information
she is gathering); this can then be compared/used with
other activities and 'condition' be monitored remotely
by airborne video.
• Provide spatial databasing of
research and community projects and make this information
available in raw form or interpreted (remote sensed data)
to agencies, local government, landcare/tcm groupsand
other interested citizens / rural landholders.
• Provide biophysical information
and broadscale monitoring capacities for community groups
and local government (e.g., For planning; state of environment
reporting).
• These capacities are required,
prerequisite to developing regional vegetation plans,
and other ESD based regional planning, management, monitoring
and reporting on natural resources.
• Help break down barriers to information
access. For example, provide a database of databases to
assist people/groups find existing information and be
able to access it.
What do we get out of it?
New research and teaching opportunities;
integrated spatial data in regional context; better co-ordination
of research with community group work.
