DECEMBER 1995 NEWSLETTER

THE ELUSIVE MEANING OF ESD

Earlier this year a questionnaire about the meaning and implementation of "ecologically sustainable development" was distributed in CRC Reef News. In her summary, JCU student Claudia Ludescher, thanks everyone who helped, and reports on her results.

Does the meaning of ecologically sustainable development (ESD) differ among groups participating in the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd? Quite simply, yes it does. The ESD concept is known to be somewhat ambiguous, and ranging interpretations may have implications for cooperative research into the Centre's goal of "science for the ecologically sustainable development of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area."

Groups surveyed included staff from the GBRMPA and QDEH as management agencies, JCU and AIMS as research agencies and the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators (AMPTO) representing the tourism industry. Response samples from QDPI's - Northern Fisheries Division and CRC staff were too small to show any clear patterns for comparative purposes.

The survey's first part on personal interpretations of ESD compared different staff groups with government management, private industry and natural science expertise, and with different occupations, age groups and genders.

Statistical comparisons then grouped replies into a number of factors representing particular aspects of the ESD concept and its implementation, including:

1. community participation;
2. an ecology-centred verses a human-centred orientation towards ESD;
3. the precautionary principle and the importance of indigenous peoples' interests;
4. intra-generational equity (equity within generations);
5. the appropriateness of current economic measures and principles to the ESD concept.

Factors 1, 3 and 4 relate to the recognition of ESD principles, while factors 2 and 5 relate to the interpretation of ESD principles from an ecological and an economic perspective.

In the second part of the survey, describing how ESD could be implemented, responses were grouped into:

1. the need for greater understanding of ecological systems, and for movement away from the continuous growth ideal;
2. the role of science and technology in the implementation of ESD; and
3. the role of social and political forces in the implementation of ESD.

Several single question items also compared economic valuation of the environment, the importance of social science research to the implementation of ESD and the relevance of economic considerations in ESD planning.

RESULTS: THE CONCEPT OF ESD

Management, research and industry groups do not differ significantly in opinions on most aspects of the concept of ESD measured. However, researchers and managers do differ on some economic and social issues. Management agency staff are more likely than research agency staff to agree with the precautionary principle and the importance of indigenous peoples' interests, and feel that economic considerations are not relevant to ESD, while researchers feel they are. Additionally, tourist industry staff differ from all others in their attitude towards economic valuation of the environment, with tour operators and resort staff being most likely to agree with putting a monetary value on the environment. Research and management agency staff are more likely to disagree with this approach.

Comparing staff groups within agencies, opinions differed on social issues between staffing levels, between genders and between natural science and social experts. Middle and operational level staff, females and `social' experts are more concerned with the social aspects of ESD than are senior staff, males and natural science experts. Additionally, opinions on ecological and economic issues vary between staffing levels and between genders, with senior staff and males being more economically inclined, while middle and operational level staff and females have stronger opinions on ecological issues.

RESULTS: THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ESD

Between each group, major variations exist in opinion as to how ESD must be implemented. Management agency staff have the strongest opinions about the importance of social and ecological issues and the need to move away from the continuous growth ideal - researchers being least concerned with social forces and social research in the implementation of ESD. Tourist industry members feel strongly that ESD will be implemented through advancements in science and technology, while both researchers and managers feel this not to be the case.

Comparisons within agencies indicate staff are divided on attitudes about the importance of ecological understanding and the need to move away from continuous growth ideals, with middle and operational level staff again having stronger opinions on these needs than senior staff.

Expertise divides attitudes on the importance of social and political forces, and of social research - with social experts again having stronger opinions on the importance of social aspects of ESD than do natural science experts.

Answers to "is ESD possible: why?" and to preferred words associated with the concept of ESD (as discussed in the last October newsletter) added to the emerging pattern indicating that:

1. Management agency (GBRMPA and QDEH) staff appear to have the broadest interpretation of ESD with regards to social and ecological aspects, and the need to change current economic thinking (the continuous growth ideal) if ESD is to be implemented;

2. Research agency (AIMS and JCU) staff may not place as much importance on social aspects of ESD, being primarily concerned with preservation of the biotic environment; and,

3. Tourism industry (AMPTO) participants are most likely to include economic growth in their definition of ESD and to value the environment as part of the economic system.

These differences among interpretations of ESD may have implications for decision making - and even directions of research within the CRC Reef Research Centre Ltd - as they could within different agencies, among staffing levels, genders and expertise groups.

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