Sustainable Development and Geographical Space Issues of population, environment, globalization and education in marginal regions

About this book

The issue of sustainable development is perhaps of more significance to marginalized regions and their communities throughout the world than their more central counterparts. While the world-wide political, sociological and economic processes resltling in globalization and deregulation have increased the marginalization of peripheral areas, the other major global trend, a general degradation of the ecosystem, also affects marginal populations more as their work is more likely to involve the use of natural resources. The fact that these communities suffer more from environmental, economic and social problems also tends to prevent them adopting a sustainable use of these local resources. Using a series of international case studies from both developed and developing countries, this volume explores issues of sustainable development in marginalized regions of the world. In particular, it discusses population development and sustainability, and environment and sustainability from the point of view of regional development, the issue of globalization and sustainability and the role of education in encouraging a sustainable path of development. The contributors focus on the "human" aspects of development, as well as evaluating the usefulness of the concept of "sustainability" in geographical and economic research and provide an insightful overview of the issues that touch sustainability in marginal and critical regions.

Contents

Part 1 Population and sustainability: from unity to present -spatial aspects of population development in Tuscany seen on maps; patterns of population sustainability in the US Midlands; economic growth, ecological consequences and depopulation in the rural areas of Galicia (Spain); local poverty in Finland in 1995; regional imbalances in Spain at the end of the century; job development and regional structure - local examples of growing and declining industries in northern Finland; rural development and marginal areas in Slovenia. Part 2 Environment and sustainability: establishing a sustainable conservation policy in nothern Saudi Arabia; biosphere reserves - sustainable development of marginal regions; sorghum based farm systems in Botswana - the challenges of improving livelihood in a drought prone environment; global change and community self-reliance strategies in Southern Africa; subsistence and marginal lands - an Alaskan political and geograhical issue; traditional water rights in northern New Mexico. Part 3 Global economic development and sustainability: spatial shifts in production and consumption - marginality patterns in the new international division of labour; economic change and transportation deregulation in selected marginal and critical areas of the US Pacific Northwest; nearer the core - the fishing sector in one of Europe's marginal regions; tourism and sustainable development - "snow tourism" in European mountain regions; rural tourism and new patterns of development in the Portuguese rural space; highly specialized production as an alternative in economically depressed areas - the wines of Priorat (Tarragona, Spain); a tale out of Hollywood! - set in the desert of Almeria, in Spain?; globalization and irregular urban growth from a Spanish example; sustainability, efficiency and economic success of R.I.C.A. farm typologies in Italy. Part4 Education and sustainable development: higher education as a means to sustainable development in marginal regions; the development and implementation of sustainable education - northern areas, Pakistan. Part 5 Conclusions and summary: sustainability as seen from marginal regions - conclusions and summary.

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