Environmental policy and conservation: from theory to practice

• Published in: Current science (Bangalore) Vol. 97; no. 9; p. 1279
• Main Authors: Berger-Tal, O, Berger-Tal, R, Bounioux, C, Embar, K, Sandomirsky, I G, Huberman-Meraiot, N, Inbar, A, Indoitu, R, Mukherjee, S, Nathan, Y, Rangarajan, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 10.11.2009
• Subjects: Arrays; Charge; Conservation; Deterioration; Mathematical models; Policies; Politics; Tasks
• ISSN: 0011-3891

The role of a responsible environmentalist, in charge of establishing environmental policies is a daunting one indeed. Not only is he or she faced with the tremendous task of trying to protect an environment whose state deteriorates from day to day, he also needs to be capable of understanding and applying the knowledge from a large array of disciplines. It is not enough to be an expert in ecology to decide what to conserve. Without a deep understanding of the customs, history and social-economic status of the people that live in and around the area suggested for conservation, the chances that the conservation attempts will fail increase dramatically. In a similar manner, no biologist will be able to predict the outcome of a conservation effort without the aid of mathematical models, and despite the fact that successful implementation of environmental policies has to be legislated, most scientists, regardless of how brilliant they are will not be able to find their way in the intricate maze that is politics without assistance.