Tropical Asian Streams: Zoobenthos, Ecology and Conservation

Chapter 8. Concluding Remarks

Concluding Remarks Even if the research strategies advocated in Chapters 6 and 7 of this book were taken up by biologists, stream conservation will be possible only when they are combined with a move beyond the bailiwick of science into the political arena. If they are to succeed, ecologicallyviable management strategies for tropical Asian streams must take account of socioeconomic contexts; in particular, the pressure of increasing human populations and the desire for economic growth which drive development and urbanization. While the 1997 depression of Asian economies may slow growth temporarily, it will do nothing to lessen the forces driving such growth. Socioeconomic advancement in many tropical countries must proceed as a way of reducing poverty, disease and deprivation, and the '. . . fact that the safeguarding of biodiversity is a desirable goal for the whole world is meaningless to the tens of millions who live on the edge of starvation .. .' (Zuckerman, 1992) is inescapable. Unfortunately, development almost inevitably brings in its train new environmental problems. There is thus every likelihood that ecosystems will continue to be degraded and biodiversity will decline until such a time that they can be assigned an economic value and factored into the costs of developments (Dudgeon et al., 1994). This means that the 'indirect use value' of environmental 611 Concluding Remarks Even if the research strategies advocated in Chapters 6 and 7 of this book were taken up by biologists, stream conservation will be possible only when they are combined with a move beyond the bailiwick of science into the political arena. If they are to succeed, ecologicallyviable management strategies for tropical Asian streams must take account of socioeconomic contexts; in particular, the pressure of increasing human populations and the desire for economic growth which drive development and urbanization. While the 1997 depression of Asian economies may slow growth temporarily, it will do nothing to lessen the forces driving such growth. Socioeconomic advancement in many tropical countries must proceed as a way of reducing poverty, disease and deprivation, and the '. . . fact that the safeguarding of biodiversity is a desirable goal for the whole world is meaningless to the tens of millions who live on the edge of starvation .. .' (Zuckerman, 1992) is inescapable. Unfortunately, development almost inevitably brings in its train new environmental problems. There is thus every likelihood that ecosystems will continue to be degraded and biodiversity will decline until such a time that they can be assigned an economic value and factored into the costs of developments (Dudgeon et al., 1994). This means that the 'indirect use value' of environmental 611 Concluding Remarks Even if the research strategies advocated in Chapters 6 and 7 of this book were taken up by biologists, stream conservation will be possible only when they are combined with a move beyond the bailiwick of science into the political arena. If they are to succeed, ecologicallyviable management strategies for tropical Asian streams must take account of socioeconomic contexts; in particular, the pressure of increasing human populations and the desire for economic growth which drive development and urbanization. While the 1997 depression of Asian economies may slow growth temporarily, it will do nothing to lessen the forces driving such growth. Socioeconomic advancement in many tropical countries must proceed as a way of reducing poverty, disease and deprivation, and the '. . . fact that the safeguarding of biodiversity is a desirable goal for the whole world is meaningless to the tens of millions who live on the edge of starvation .. .' (Zuckerman, 1992) is inescapable. Unfortunately, development almost inevitably brings in its train new environmental problems. There is thus every likelihood that ecosystems will continue to be degraded and biodiversity will decline until such a time that they can be assigned an economic value and factored into the costs of developments (Dudgeon et al., 1994). This means that the 'indirect use value' of environmental 611 Concluding Remarks Even if the research strategies advocated in Chapters 6 and 7 of this book were taken up by biologists, stream conservation will be possible only when they are combined with a move beyond the bailiwick of science into the political arena. If they are to succeed, ecologicallyviable management strategies for tropical Asian streams must take account of socioeconomic contexts; in particular, the pressure of increasing human populations and the desire for economic growth which drive development and urbanization. While the 1997 depression of Asian economies may slow growth temporarily, it will do nothing to lessen the forces driving such growth. Socioeconomic advancement in many tropical countries must proceed as...