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Rural resource management
Book reviews
where agriculture requires the existence of thriving communities to provide labour at certain times of the year, or where there are strong political motives for sustaining small, noneconomic farms to sustain the viability of an area. Here again, however, some broad trends are identifiable. Northern Europe has tended to pursue the economic/efficient route, which has squeezed out smaller, less efficient farmers and encouraged the emergence of agribusiness. Southern Europe (and the margins such as Eire and the hills and uplands of Britain) has largely recognized (if not fully implemented) the need for agricultural supports which also have a socioeconomic and/or environmental function. A final chapter in this section reviews the environmental component of rural policy. It is found to be markedly different in each of the member states, but similar concerns are emerging in each country with the growth of pressure groups’ awareness of the impact of agricultural policy on traditional landscapes and wildlife habitats in particular. It is possible to infer that this growing commonality of view might lead to policy reviews which would begin to answer particular environmental concerns. However, it is difficult to see the environment emerging as the common thread which would bring social, economic and agricultural objectives together while agricultural policy is so much more preoc-
Countryside
by Paul J. Cloke and Chris C. Park Helm,
Beckenham,
1985,
Recent years have seen increasing pressures on the countryside from continuing economic and social changes. The intensification of farming and forestry, the widespread destruction of wildlife habitats and the influx of townspeople seeking recreation and even somewhere to live: these are but a few of the demands
354
Fiona Reynolds Council for National Parks London, UK
controversies
RURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Croom f22.50
cupied with its massive financial problems, stemming from surpluses, high support prices and unsustainable commitments to increased productivity. Yet this is the very challenge which the European Community faces, and Dr Clout, having brought us to this point, sadly fails to take us one logical step further. His concluding chapter does indeed point the way to the need for greater integration of policies, and describes some useful initiatives (for example in rural France) which may contribute tb that process. But what is missing is a final, but urgently needed closing contextual view; of the political and economic dynamics which will influence the direction of policy over the next decade or so, and of the motivation which needs to precede new policies and enterprises. Dr Clout has indeed provided us with food for thought in this book; and illustrated it with a wealth of detail that must rarely be available or so easily accessible. He has, however, left us on the edge of the precipice which needs to be scaled if European policy is to reflect more fully the needs of tomorrow’s citizens, and which therefore requires considerable further analysis before the intriguing question mark in the title of this book can be answered.
being placed on a precious and finite conresource. As countryside troversies and conflicts escalate so too does the amount of literature being published. The past decade has seen a steady supply of books on such subjects as rural geography, rural rerural planning and rural sources, sociology. In their book Rural Resource Management, Cloke and Park attempt to provide an overview of resource management together with a geographical treatment of natural, landscape and social resources. Much of the book is dedicated to resource conflicts and
management techniques, with an emphasis on the integration of human and environmental aspects of rural planning. The opening two chapters provide something of a background to the book’s title by reviewing the. diversity of images and perceptions which abound concerning the meaning of the words ‘rural’ and ‘resource’. It is this wide difference of opinion and understanding that makes rural resource management such a difficult task. Therefore, from the outset, the authors impress upon the reader a picture of complexity that offers no easy or clearcut solutions.
Rural resources The book is divided into three main sections. Section I reviews the rural resource base, looking in turn at natural, landscape and social resources. In the words of the authors, this section provides ‘the foundation stone on which Sections II and III will build’. Three types of natural resource are highlighted - mineral resources, water resources and ecological resources. These three tend to figure most prominently in resource-use conflicts and deserve particular attention for that reason. Landscape as a resource refers to both land use and scenery in an area. The authors argue that landscape as we know it is generally created unconsciously as a result of resource use, and is thus a residual element in countryside resource management. Yet, included under landscape is the term ‘wilderness’ which evokes images of wild and uninhabited countryside which has been untainted by humans and their resource-use conflicts. Decisions taken concerning natural and landscape resources inevitably affect to varying degrees the lives of rural dwellers, the communities in which they live and the services upon which they depend. In Chapter 5, Cloke and Park highlight how social change and resource allocation policies have combined to produce a state of widespread rural underprovision and deprivation. Section II reviews the major resource conflicts currently affecting the countryside. The authors devote one
LAND USE POLICY October
1985
Book reviews
chapter to each of the following conflict areas: resource extraction, recreation and preservation, the built environment, farming and forestry, and access. This may appear rather clinical and somewhat of an oversimplification to compartmentalize such conflicts. Possibly the conflicts are too complex and interrelated to separate. However, by considering one conflict at a time, the authors are able to give a semblance of order and clarity to the proceedings which proves beneficial to the reader. Cloke and Park also hint that rural conflict is inevitable by noting ‘conflicts arise through .. . competition between rural resource users seeking to meet what are often inherently incompatible goals’. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on the need for efficient resource planning. Yet such planning is presently beset by problems. The intricacies of the Common Agricultural Policy and the demands of multinational mineral companies often leave planners at the local level in a confused and more or less powerless position to affect decision making. The authors also highlight the need to preserve the countryside, not as some sort of working museum, but as a healthy and viable community which enjoys similar levels of service provision as its urban counterparts.
UK planning machine Finally, Section III considers the planning and management approaches that have, or can be, implemented in light of the conflicts outlined in Section II. In recent years the British planning machine has come in for increasing criticism, often concerning the allocation and utilization of rural resources. Cloke and Park are critical of the bureaucracy and negative approach of planning which has regularly produced a state of confusion, frustration and ultimately conflict. The present policies of planning by agreement or control leave much to be desired. Instead, the authors call for a more fully integrated approach to rural planning, especially concerning land use strategies. Overall, this book is aimed at undergraduate students of geography,
LAND USE POLICY
October 1985
environmental planning, land management and conservation. It is a comprehensive and very well researched piece of work with the authors relying heavily on the findings of other workers to illustrate their points. Indeed, more references are cited per chapter than many authors cite per book. Although basically concerned with the British countryside, the liberal use of examples from abroad helps give the book an international flavour. Unlike some rural resource authors, Cloke and Park refrain from becoming
emotive or taking sides with particular causes. Neither do they offer any novel or radical approaches to this complex subject. Instead they have adopted a logical and well ordered approach that makes this book a valuable reference source which will provide the student with a sound platform on which to develop and specialize. Trevor McKeown Environmental Institute University of Salford Salford, UK
Erosion - not just a technical issue THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SOIL EROSION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES by Piers Blaikie Longman, London 1985, 157 pp.
and
New
York,
Soil erosion by wind and water is increasing in many developing countries, notwithstanding national and international development programmes. The author analyses the social, economic and political background of the expansion of these most important forms of soil degradation. After a general introduction to the erosion problem and an explanation of the structure of the book in Chapter 1, the author explains in Chapter 2 that economists are not in agreement as to whether soil erosion is a serious problem. Some economists think that it is; others, mainly the most influential economists, think that soil erosion can be dealt with in any rural development programme and project as a cost item for soil maintenance in the farmers’ budget. Due to the general lack of reliable statistics, it is explained that it is difficult to say which standpoint is the most realistic. The author is frank in the presentation of his opinion that erosion is a very serious problem indeed which cannot be overcome as a purely technical issue. The rest of the book is dedicated to explanations as to how soil erosion becomes a social and political prob-
lem, and why solutions in these circumstances need to be found in the fabric of sociopolitical and economic life of a country and of the international community. In Chapter 6, a methodology is proposed by which complex interrelationships between different socioeconomic groups in society on the one hand, and people and the environment on the other hand, can be analysed and be used as a tool for planning. The most interesting part of the book is Chapter 4; ‘Why do policies usually fail?’ The author gives five reasons:
0
0
a 0
0
Conservation techniques do not conserve soil in practice because of technical failures through inadequate or misapplied research. Conservation techniques do not fit into agricultural and pastoral practices and therefore are not applied by farmers or pastoralists. Conservation is hampered by existing land tenure conditions. There is a lack of participation by land users in government sponsored conservation. There are also institutional weaknesses.
Of particular interest in this part of the book is the explanation of why government officers and representatives of trade and industries in developing countries are usually not interested in soil conservation and erosion control projects. A salient point is that land users, particularly in British colonial
355
where agriculture requires the existence of thriving communities to provide labour at certain times of the year, or where there are strong political motives for sustaining small, noneconomic farms to sustain the viability of an area. Here again, however, some broad trends are identifiable. Northern Europe has tended to pursue the economic/efficient route, which has squeezed out smaller, less efficient farmers and encouraged the emergence of agribusiness. Southern Europe (and the margins such as Eire and the hills and uplands of Britain) has largely recognized (if not fully implemented) the need for agricultural supports which also have a socioeconomic and/or environmental function. A final chapter in this section reviews the environmental component of rural policy. It is found to be markedly different in each of the member states, but similar concerns are emerging in each country with the growth of pressure groups’ awareness of the impact of agricultural policy on traditional landscapes and wildlife habitats in particular. It is possible to infer that this growing commonality of view might lead to policy reviews which would begin to answer particular environmental concerns. However, it is difficult to see the environment emerging as the common thread which would bring social, economic and agricultural objectives together while agricultural policy is so much more preoc-
Countryside
by Paul J. Cloke and Chris C. Park Helm,
Beckenham,
1985,
Recent years have seen increasing pressures on the countryside from continuing economic and social changes. The intensification of farming and forestry, the widespread destruction of wildlife habitats and the influx of townspeople seeking recreation and even somewhere to live: these are but a few of the demands
354
Fiona Reynolds Council for National Parks London, UK
controversies
RURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Croom f22.50
cupied with its massive financial problems, stemming from surpluses, high support prices and unsustainable commitments to increased productivity. Yet this is the very challenge which the European Community faces, and Dr Clout, having brought us to this point, sadly fails to take us one logical step further. His concluding chapter does indeed point the way to the need for greater integration of policies, and describes some useful initiatives (for example in rural France) which may contribute tb that process. But what is missing is a final, but urgently needed closing contextual view; of the political and economic dynamics which will influence the direction of policy over the next decade or so, and of the motivation which needs to precede new policies and enterprises. Dr Clout has indeed provided us with food for thought in this book; and illustrated it with a wealth of detail that must rarely be available or so easily accessible. He has, however, left us on the edge of the precipice which needs to be scaled if European policy is to reflect more fully the needs of tomorrow’s citizens, and which therefore requires considerable further analysis before the intriguing question mark in the title of this book can be answered.
being placed on a precious and finite conresource. As countryside troversies and conflicts escalate so too does the amount of literature being published. The past decade has seen a steady supply of books on such subjects as rural geography, rural rerural planning and rural sources, sociology. In their book Rural Resource Management, Cloke and Park attempt to provide an overview of resource management together with a geographical treatment of natural, landscape and social resources. Much of the book is dedicated to resource conflicts and
management techniques, with an emphasis on the integration of human and environmental aspects of rural planning. The opening two chapters provide something of a background to the book’s title by reviewing the. diversity of images and perceptions which abound concerning the meaning of the words ‘rural’ and ‘resource’. It is this wide difference of opinion and understanding that makes rural resource management such a difficult task. Therefore, from the outset, the authors impress upon the reader a picture of complexity that offers no easy or clearcut solutions.
Rural resources The book is divided into three main sections. Section I reviews the rural resource base, looking in turn at natural, landscape and social resources. In the words of the authors, this section provides ‘the foundation stone on which Sections II and III will build’. Three types of natural resource are highlighted - mineral resources, water resources and ecological resources. These three tend to figure most prominently in resource-use conflicts and deserve particular attention for that reason. Landscape as a resource refers to both land use and scenery in an area. The authors argue that landscape as we know it is generally created unconsciously as a result of resource use, and is thus a residual element in countryside resource management. Yet, included under landscape is the term ‘wilderness’ which evokes images of wild and uninhabited countryside which has been untainted by humans and their resource-use conflicts. Decisions taken concerning natural and landscape resources inevitably affect to varying degrees the lives of rural dwellers, the communities in which they live and the services upon which they depend. In Chapter 5, Cloke and Park highlight how social change and resource allocation policies have combined to produce a state of widespread rural underprovision and deprivation. Section II reviews the major resource conflicts currently affecting the countryside. The authors devote one
LAND USE POLICY October
1985
Book reviews
chapter to each of the following conflict areas: resource extraction, recreation and preservation, the built environment, farming and forestry, and access. This may appear rather clinical and somewhat of an oversimplification to compartmentalize such conflicts. Possibly the conflicts are too complex and interrelated to separate. However, by considering one conflict at a time, the authors are able to give a semblance of order and clarity to the proceedings which proves beneficial to the reader. Cloke and Park also hint that rural conflict is inevitable by noting ‘conflicts arise through .. . competition between rural resource users seeking to meet what are often inherently incompatible goals’. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on the need for efficient resource planning. Yet such planning is presently beset by problems. The intricacies of the Common Agricultural Policy and the demands of multinational mineral companies often leave planners at the local level in a confused and more or less powerless position to affect decision making. The authors also highlight the need to preserve the countryside, not as some sort of working museum, but as a healthy and viable community which enjoys similar levels of service provision as its urban counterparts.
UK planning machine Finally, Section III considers the planning and management approaches that have, or can be, implemented in light of the conflicts outlined in Section II. In recent years the British planning machine has come in for increasing criticism, often concerning the allocation and utilization of rural resources. Cloke and Park are critical of the bureaucracy and negative approach of planning which has regularly produced a state of confusion, frustration and ultimately conflict. The present policies of planning by agreement or control leave much to be desired. Instead, the authors call for a more fully integrated approach to rural planning, especially concerning land use strategies. Overall, this book is aimed at undergraduate students of geography,
LAND USE POLICY
October 1985
environmental planning, land management and conservation. It is a comprehensive and very well researched piece of work with the authors relying heavily on the findings of other workers to illustrate their points. Indeed, more references are cited per chapter than many authors cite per book. Although basically concerned with the British countryside, the liberal use of examples from abroad helps give the book an international flavour. Unlike some rural resource authors, Cloke and Park refrain from becoming
emotive or taking sides with particular causes. Neither do they offer any novel or radical approaches to this complex subject. Instead they have adopted a logical and well ordered approach that makes this book a valuable reference source which will provide the student with a sound platform on which to develop and specialize. Trevor McKeown Environmental Institute University of Salford Salford, UK
Erosion - not just a technical issue THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF SOIL EROSION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES by Piers Blaikie Longman, London 1985, 157 pp.
and
New
York,
Soil erosion by wind and water is increasing in many developing countries, notwithstanding national and international development programmes. The author analyses the social, economic and political background of the expansion of these most important forms of soil degradation. After a general introduction to the erosion problem and an explanation of the structure of the book in Chapter 1, the author explains in Chapter 2 that economists are not in agreement as to whether soil erosion is a serious problem. Some economists think that it is; others, mainly the most influential economists, think that soil erosion can be dealt with in any rural development programme and project as a cost item for soil maintenance in the farmers’ budget. Due to the general lack of reliable statistics, it is explained that it is difficult to say which standpoint is the most realistic. The author is frank in the presentation of his opinion that erosion is a very serious problem indeed which cannot be overcome as a purely technical issue. The rest of the book is dedicated to explanations as to how soil erosion becomes a social and political prob-
lem, and why solutions in these circumstances need to be found in the fabric of sociopolitical and economic life of a country and of the international community. In Chapter 6, a methodology is proposed by which complex interrelationships between different socioeconomic groups in society on the one hand, and people and the environment on the other hand, can be analysed and be used as a tool for planning. The most interesting part of the book is Chapter 4; ‘Why do policies usually fail?’ The author gives five reasons:
0
0
a 0
0
Conservation techniques do not conserve soil in practice because of technical failures through inadequate or misapplied research. Conservation techniques do not fit into agricultural and pastoral practices and therefore are not applied by farmers or pastoralists. Conservation is hampered by existing land tenure conditions. There is a lack of participation by land users in government sponsored conservation. There are also institutional weaknesses.
Of particular interest in this part of the book is the explanation of why government officers and representatives of trade and industries in developing countries are usually not interested in soil conservation and erosion control projects. A salient point is that land users, particularly in British colonial
355