Participating in Designing Sustainable Natural Resources

Natural Resources Conservation and Development
Level IV
Based on March 2018, Version III Occupational
standard
Module Title: - Participating in Designing Sustainable

Natural Resources Utilization
LG Code: AGR NRC4 M02 LO (1-5) LG (7-11)
TTLM Code: AGR NRC4TTLM 0622v3
May, 2022
Agarfa
Introduction to the Module
This module covers knowledge, skills and attitude required for designing of sustainable utilization
plan of wildlife resource, forest resource, and land and water resource without causing damage to the
natural environment.
Page 1 of 47 Ministry of Labor and Natural Resources Conservation and Version -3

Skills Development May, 2022
Author/Copyright Level-IV
LO #1- Plan community based natural resources utilization
LG #7
Instruction sheet
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following
content coverage and topics:
 preparing Long and short term community based strategic plan
 Identifying and incorporating Local community benefits in the plan
 Identifying and promoting Cultural taboos and traditional practices
 Outlining mechanisms for sustainable utilization of natural resources
 Designing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in the plan
 Identifying appropriate mechanisms for infrastructures development
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes stated in the cover page. Specifically,
upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 prepare Long and short term community based strategic plan
 Identify and incorporate Local community benefits in the plan
 Identify and promote Cultural taboos and traditional practices
 Outline mechanisms for sustainable utilization of natural resources
 Design monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in the plan
 Identify appropriate mechanisms for infrastructures development

Learning Instructions:
1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.
2. Follow the instructions described below.
3. Read the information written in the information Sheets
4. Accomplish the Self-checks
5. Perform Operation Sheets
6. Do the ―LAP test‖

Information Sheet 1
1.1 preparing Long and short term community based strategic plan
1.1.1 A Definition of Strategic Plan
Strategic plan is a management tool for several key purposes: to help an organization do a better job,
to focus its energy, to ensure that members are working toward the same goals and to assess and adjust
its direction in response to an ever-changing environment. Strategic plan provides the master plan an
organization uses to achieve its aims. It charts the direction and goals of the entire organization and all
aspects of its operation. Strategic plan is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and
actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, and why it does it, with a focus on
the future.
In addition, strategic planning does the following:

 Shares an organization‘s vision with a large internal and external audience.
 Clarifies and makes the organization‘s mission specific. The process is strategic
because it involves choosing how best to respond to the circumstances of the
organization‘s environment
 Identifies clients, consumers and stakeholders served by the organization.
 Identifies distinctive strengths and weaknesses of the organization.
 Scans the relevant environment to find emerging opportunities and threats for an
organization.
 Involves the key people inside and outside the organization in the planning
process. The process is about planning because it involves intentionally setting goals
(choosing a desired future) and developing an approach to achieving those
goals.
 Creates a context for making choices about possible future directions. The process is
disciplined in that it calls for a certain order and pattern to keep it focused and productive.
These choices are fundamental decisions and actions that must be made to reach a desired
future. The plan ultimately is no more (and no less) than a set of decisions about what to do,
why to do it, and how to do it.

The strategic planning process can be complex and challenging, but by using the basic
ideas outlined above, you can develop and execute a successful strategic plan.
1.1.2 Understanding of Community and Community based Development
Community development is a very appealing idea. Time and again, community development has
been prescribed as a popular means of improving the social, economic and environmental quality
of life for residents of a community. As encouraging as the notion of community development
sounds, the practice of community development suffers from a lack of systematic theory and a
clear understanding of what a community is and how it develops. In order for community
development strategies to be viewed as useful and practical, especially in rural areas, community
developers and Cooperative Extension personnel must enhance their understanding of community
and the ways by which communities develop in a constantly changing society.
Community is an extremely elusive construct. People use the term ―community‖ in a variety of
ways. Two of the more common uses of the term refer to those communities known as territory
free and those labeled territory-based. The term ―territory-free community‖ generally is used to
describe types of social groupings or networks. Examples include social groupings or networks
such as the business community, the farm community, the Hispanic community, the academic
community, the prison community, the Baptist community and the Internet community.
The other common use of the term refers to geographically-localized settlements or territory-based
communities. So, what constitutes a territory-based community? While there is not a universally
accepted definition, most sociological definitions emphasize one or more of the following
components: shared territory, common life, collective actions and mutual identity.
Community development is defined as a process of building and strengthening the community. Acc
ordingly, community development refers to the creation and maintenance of community as a social
characteristic of a local population. From an interactional perspective, community development can
be viewed ―as a process of developing the community field.
Community based planning is a local voluntary planning process that is designed to build,
strengthen and support community structure.

1.1.3 Strategic Planning and Long-Range Planning
Long-range planning is generally considered to assume current knowledge about future conditions.
It looks to ensure the strategic plan‘s exact results over the duration of its implementation.
Strategic planning, however, assumes that your organization must be responsive to a dynamic,
changing environment, which may call for changes in the future. Strategic planning, then, stresses
the importance of making decisions that will ensure your organization‘s ability to successfully
respond to changes in the environment.
1.2 Identifying and incorporating Local community benefits in the plan
Substantial financial profits have rarely been made from natural resources, and the benefits to
individuals are often overstated. Many CBNRM initiatives have no knowledge of markets and no
economic planning and this generates false expectations. CBNRM is a complementary activity that
supplements people‘s incomes and activities rather than being the mainstay of their economy.
In CBNRM there are both direct and indirect links between development and natural resource
management.
Community benefit clauses are contractual requirements which deliver wider social benefits in
addition to the core purpose of a contract. These clauses can be used to build a range of social,
economic or environmental conditions into contract delivery. As an example, this can include
provision of jobs and training places for particular groups; or donations of goods, equipment, or
expertise to support local community activities. Community benefit requirements to be considered in
public procurements may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Figure.1.1: Benefits from CBNRM
However one of the greatest benefits from CBNRM is the transfer of both the control of, and
responsibility for, natural resources from the state to community levels.
1.3 Identifying and promoting Cultural taboos and traditional practices
A taboo refers to a religious or social practice that restricts a certain behavior, activity, or
relationship with people, places, or things. Taboos stem from the societal norms and customs where
practices are associated with certain beliefs. However, the role of taboos is to ensure the proper
functioning of societies as seen fit by particular groupings.
Therefore, it is important to note that a taboo is only relevant depending on the context. This means
that what is considered taboo in one society might be completely normal in another society.
Furthermore, due to the passage of time and change of customs in societies, some of the things that
were considered taboos years ago are acceptable in some societies. For example, divorce is now
acceptable in many parts of the world yet a few years back it was a taboo in many societies.
However, some taboos remain relevant over the years.

From the very on-set, the paper aims at looking at the roles African traditional religion and socio-
cultural practices can play in the management of natural resources. Findings indicate that
traditional religion and cultural practices have contributed in the conservation of resources through
the ascription of psychic powers to object, rock, stream/pond, tree, forest land etc; these ascriptions
of the supreme powers and the belief and respect for the gods of the land holds the string to
reverence and respect for these objects. This belief in the existence of a supreme being responsible
for the protection of the communities has also enabled the traditional African communities to
voluntarily take management of natural resources very seriously.
The traditional beliefs and taboos helped in enforcing rules and regulations for environmental
preservation because people refrained from using resources carelessly, especially as it is related to
sacred places. In particular, the important role of these practices in the conservation of biodiversity
through sacred groves has been highlighted.
Taboos also reduced pressure on some economically important endemic species by preventing
their sale or limiting the harvest season. Despite their value for conservation, the taboos did not
appear to originate from attempts to sustainably manage resources. Informal institutions are
important to conservation because they suggest ways of improving cultural understanding and
conservation communication. Food taboos influence societal preferences, which affect the wider
demand for a species. Most important, where capacity to enforce external conservation rules is
limited, informal institutions may provide the only effective regulations. Informal institutions
should receive greater attention from conservation biologists so that local people's conservation
roles can be acknowledged fairly and so that potential synergies with conservation objectives can
be realized.
1.4 Outlining mechanisms for sustainable utilization of natural resources

Natural resources are central to human wellbeing. We cannot live without the clean air we breathe,
the plants we eat, or the water we drink. We need natural resources to put roofs over our heads and
heat our homes. We need them to survive and to thrive. The concept of natural resources refers to
naturally occurring living and non-living elements of the Earth system, including plants, fish, and
fungi, but also water, soil, and minerals. A prominent way to think about natural resources is to look

at them in terms of depletion risk: do they regenerate, and, if so, at what pace? Some resources, such
as trees and plants, are renewable because they regenerate relatively quickly. Others, such as copper
and oil, take much longer to form and are considered non-renewable.
Together, natural resources make up a dense web of interdependence, forming ecosystems that also
include humans. As such, the distribution of resources shapes the face of our planet and the local
distinctiveness of our environments. People have formed different types of cultural, spiritual, and
subsistence based relationships with the natural environment, adopting value-systems that go beyond
economic framings.
The use of natural resources has long been considered an element of both human rights and economic
development, leading the United Nations, amid its work on advancing decolonization in the 1960s, to
declare that ―the right of peoples and nations to permanent sovereignty over their natural wealth and
resources must be exercised in the interest of their national development and of the well-being of the
people of the State concerned‖
Natural resources are often viewed as key assets driving development and wealth creation. Over time
and with progressive industrialization, resource use increased. In some cases, exploitation levels
came to exceed resources‘ natural regeneration rates. Such overexploitation ultimately threatens the
livelihoods and wellbeing of people who depend on these resources, and jeopardizes the health of
ecosystems. This risk of resource depletion, notably manifesting in the form of fishery collapses,
demonstrates the need to regulate natural resource use to better preserve resources and their
ecosystems. The very first UN conference on environmental issues, the 1972 UN Conference on the
Human Environment held in Stockholm, Sweden, adopted fundamental principles in this regard.
The Stockholm Declaration not only addressed resource depletion, but also benefits sharing: the
objective to ensure that natural resource use not only benefits the few, but the many, both within and
across countries. It also speaks to the principle of inter-generational equity: ensuring that today‘s
resource use does not compromise the availability of natural resources for future generations. In fact,
natural resource use relates to all three dimensions of sustainability: social justice, environmental
health, and economic development. The sustainable use of natural resources strives for balance

between these dimensions: maintaining the long-term use of resources while maximizing social
benefits and minimizing environmental impacts.
Since Stockholm, numerous multilateral agreements have developed a range of operational
guidelines, targets, and standards. Some intergovernmental frameworks, such as the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) are broad in focus, while others are resourcespecific (Minamata
Convention on Mercury) or relate to a specific geographical area (Convention on the Conservation of
Antarctic Marine Living Resources). Industry initiatives and multi-stakeholder partnerships often
focus on specific resources or sectors. Examples of such initiatives include the Forest Stewardship
Council, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative,
and the Better Cotton Initiative.
Citizens also have agency over natural resource use: through the representatives we elect to
government, our activist engagement, and our consumption and transport choices. For instance,
carefully considering food production cycles what we eat, where and how it is grown, and how it
arrives on our plate can go towards addressing the impact that agricultural expansion has on forests,
wetlands, and grassland ecosystems (FAO, 2018; IPBES, 2019). However, this needs to be coupled
with systemic change across governance structures.
These mechanisms and institutions are not always complementary; in fact, at times they stand in
conflict with one another. Consider, for instance, an energy corporation invoking the Energy Charter
Treaty to file arbitration claims against a country‘s decision to phase out coal a decision taken in
accordance with its obligations under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
1.5 Designing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in the plan

Monitoring and evaluation are essential feedback mechanisms within the adaptive management
framework to keep the Prairie Plan dynamic and responsive to changing conditions. Monitoring and
evaluation provide the public, the Forest Service, and other concerned resource agencies and partners
with information on the progress and results of Prairie Plan implementation. The evaluation process
provides the feedback that triggers adjustments to actions, plans and budgets, to ensure that they are
realistic and are being adhered to.
Monitoring may include simple observation of the results of management activities, or more rigorous
and systematic data collection, to provide a basis for periodic evaluation of the Prairie Plan. There
are three levels of monitoring:

• Implementation Monitoring –Was the project accomplished? This determines if plans,
prescriptions, projects and activities are implemented as designed and in compliance with Prairie
Plan goals.
• Effectiveness Monitoring – Did the project work? This determines if plans, prescriptions, projects
and activities are effective in meeting management goals and direction.
• Validation Monitoring – Is the guidance okay? Here a determination is made if the initial data and
assumptions used in developing the Prairie Plan were correct, or if there is a better way to meet
planning regulations, policies or goals.
Evaluation includes analysis of the information and data collected during the monitoring phase. A
review and evaluation of monitoring results will be conducted annually and summarized in an annual
report. The Prairie Supervisor will also review the conditions on the land in the 5th year of the Plan
implementation to determine whether conditions have changed significantly. Monitoring is most
effective when driven by specific questions, and monitoring evaluation will determine the need to
revise management plans or how they are implemented. Monitoring and evaluation thus form the
basis for adaptively managing all Forest Service lands.
Monitoring and evaluation keep the Land and Resource Management Plan up-to-date and responsive
to changing issues by verifying the effectiveness of management plan standards and guidelines and
anticipated program and project effects on resources. Monitoring and evaluation may provide critical
information for developing amendments (legal modifications) to the management plan.
1.6 Identifying appropriate mechanisms for infrastructures development

To ensure that partner government act efficiently and effectively, the roles and responsibilities of the
various factors involved in infrastructure – central and local governments, domestic and foreign
entrepreneurs, civil society, donors – must be optimized. This adjustment is needed to focus central
governments on funding, regulation, and policy elaboration and implementation; to better balance the
roles of national, provincial and local stakeholders; and to outsource, when possible, service
provision to the private sector.
Involve stakeholders
Participation by stakeholders in infrastructure planning and decision making helps balance different
interests and strengthens ownership and accountability. Stakeholder participation is important at all
levels, from national to community strategies, and all stages, from designing to maintaining

investments. All stakeholders – especially user groups and poor people – should be equitably
represented.
Ensure transparency and accountability
Transparent processes should be established for public finance management, covering both the
revenues and expenditures. Transparency involves independent audits, public display of tariffs and
publication of annual activity reports, with specific mention of how services are being improved for
the poor. Because infrastructure decisions can be affected by corruption and favoritism, a systemic
approach should be used to ensure accountability, participatory planning, transparent monitoring and
competitive implementation; and procurement reforms and transparent contracting arrangements
promoted at the project and programme levels.
Regulation – a core government responsibility
Infrastructure with a public good character (such as most roads) is better provided by government,
while infrastructure considered private goods (such as energy services) can potentially be
transferred to private ownership or management – under regulation. Key issues for regulation
include developing an orientation towards pro-poor growth, defining the level of government
where regulation should occur and deciding on multi- or single-sector approaches. Responsiveness
to the needs of poor customers may suggest placing regulatory responsibilities close to service
provision, but financial and technical capacity and resources are generally greater at higher levels
of government. Hence a multi-level solution may be appropriate. Regulation of private operators
should establish rates of return and define good management and extension of infrastructure
services. Achieving the latter may require providing subsidies to the private sector, in a promote

investments that serve the poor.

Self-check 1 Written test
Name…………………………………………… ID………………………… Date…….

Directions: Answer all the questions listed below.
Test I: Short Answer Questions
1. Define community based strategic plan?
2. Write the Local community benefits in the plan?
Note: Satisfactory rating - 5 points Unsatisfactory - below 5 points
You can ask your teacher for the copy of the correct answers.

LG #8 LO #2- Establish means of promotion and
advertisement
Instruction sheet
This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the
following content coverage and topics:
 Establishing experience sharing mechanisms among communities and farmers
 Identifying and advertising natural resources potential areas
This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcomes stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
 Establish experience sharing mechanisms among communities and farmers

 Identify and advertise natural resources potential areas

Information Sheet 2
2.1 Establishing experience sharing mechanisms among communities and farmers
2.1.1 Sustainable natural resources utilization
The world's natural ecosystems are under increasing pressure to provide an expanding population
with a sustainable supply of food, fiber, fuel, and other commodities while still providing services
related to biodiversity and clean water and air. Our economists develop analytical tools that help
individuals in the public and private sectors to develop reasoned policies for managing forests and
other natural resources.
Resources are the backbone of every economy. In using resources and transforming them, capital
stocks are built up which add to the wealth of present and future generations. However, the
dimensions of our current resource use are such that the chances of future generations - and the
developing countries - to have access to their fair share of scarce resources are endangered.
Moreover, the consequences of our resource use in terms of impacts on the environment may induce
serious damages that go beyond the carrying capacity of the environment. These effects risk being
aggravated once the developing world has taken up growth and resource use similar to the
industrialized countries.
The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem, it
will avail us little to solve all others.
Depletion of Natural Resources is associated with social inequity. Considering most biodiversity are
located in developing countries, depletion of this resource could result in losses of ecosystem services
for these countries. Some view this depletion as a major source of social unrest and conflicts in
developing nations.
At present, with it being the year of the forest, there is particular concern for rainforest regions which
hold most of the Earth's biodiversity. According to Nelson deforestation and degradation affect 8.5%
of the world's forests with 30% of the Earth's surface already cropped. If we consider that 80% of

people rely on medicines obtained from plants and ¾ of the world's prescription medicines have
ingredients taken from plants, loss of the world's rainforests could result in a loss of finding more
potential life saving medicines.
The depletion of natural resources is caused by 'direct drivers of change‘ such as Mining, petroleum
extraction, fishing and forestry as well as 'indirect drivers of change' such as demography, economy,
society, politics and technology. The current practice of Agriculture is another factor causing
depletion of natural resources. For example the depletion of nutrients in the soil due to excessive use
of nitrogen and desertification the depletion of natural resources is a continuing concern for society.
2.2 Identifying and advertising natural resources potential areas

2.2.1 Major Natural Resources in Ethiopia
The country has a few known reserves of precious metals and other natural resources such as gold,
potash, natural gas, copper, and platinum. In addition to all these resources, there is also an extensive
potential for the generation of hydropower.
However, the most abundant natural resource is arguably natural gas. Explorations in the past have
shown that Ethiopia has some of the largest deposits of natural gas compared to most countries in
Africa. Despite all this potential, natural gas has not been properly exploited yet. The potential is so
high that the geology of some parts of the country, like that of the Ogaden basin, resembles the
natural gas-rich geological structures of oil and gas fields in the Middle East.
In addition to the above resources, Ethiopia also engages in a bit of agriculture. As things stand,
about 20% is being exploited for agricultural use even though the potential is higher. Forests have
greatly reduced with only about 10 to 15% of the land covered by forests. Livestock keeping is also
popular with huge swathes of land used for pasture.
In recent years, the Ethiopian government has taken progressive steps to ensure that the valuable
resource does not go untapped for much longer. For instance, a plan has been prepared that, if
fulfilled, would see the extensive exploitation of the resource by 2023. The idea is to turn the sector
into a crucial cog of the Ethiopian economy by then. Some of the strategies put in place to ensure the
goal is reached include inviting more private investors to the country and the issuance of licenses to
parties interested in the mining sector. The Ethiopian Petroleum Development Enterprise was

established in 2012 to oversee the achievement of the set targets. Plenty of firms have already
acquired the necessary permits to explore the vast deposits of gas and associated liquids.
2.2.1 Natural Resource Distribution
Earth‘s many natural resources, including oil, water, soil, minerals, wind, and sunlight, are unevenly
distributed on Earth‘s surface. In other words, resources are concentrated in specific places because
of the processes by which they form. For example, fossil fuels found today were formed by different
geologic processes. Each process took place in a certain location under specific conditions. For
example, most of the coal we use today formed where tropical swamps existed millions of years ago.
However, salt deposits formed where seawater entered a shallow bay. As the water evaporated,
dissolved materials were left behind and layers of minerals, such as salt, formed. Because many
geologic processes occur over millions of years, resources formed in these ways tend to be
nonrenewable.
Some resources, such as wind and sunlight, are renewable. However, these resources are also limited
in their distribution. Geologic processes can also move and change resources. Therefore, not all
natural resources are found where they first formed. For example, rocks containing gold can be
uplifted and exposed at Earth‘s surface. Weathering breaks rock down into small pieces of sediment,
and erosion carries the sediment away. As a result, gold can be found in streams downhill from the
rock where it came from. Geologic processes can also change resources. For example, calcite, a
mineral used in medicine and building materials, can be dissolved by water and then deposited in a
new form in a different location.

Self-Check – 2 Written test
Name…………………………………………… ID………………………… Date…….

1. Explain major natural resources in Ethiopia?

You can ask you teacher for the copy of the correct answers.

LG #9 LO #3- Undertake a site analysis
Instruction sheet
 Visiting and inspecting the site
 Quantifying and mapping Physical element and features of the site, its physical and
biological condition and the presence of threats
 Recording Soil and topography aspects, habitat resources, existing fauna and flora and
climatic factors
 Assessing and documenting Legal requirements and constraints for natural resources
utilization.
 Assessing, identifying and recording the potential for natural resources conservation and
the limiting factors
 Determining and recording options for passive and active interventions.
 Assessing and recording Other relevant information
 Visit and inspect the site
 Quantify and map Physical element and features of the site, its physical and biological

condition and the presence of threats
 Record Soil and topography aspects, habitat resources, existing fauna and flora and climatic
factors
 Assesse and document Legal requirements and constraints for natural resources utilization.
 Assesse, identify and record the potential for natural resources conservation and the
limiting factors
 Determine and record options for passive and active interventions.
 Assesse and record Other relevant information

Information Sheet 3
3.1 Visiting and inspecting the site

The site analysis summarizes the site‘s suitability for the programmed uses. A variety of physical,
biological, and cultural attributes can influence the site‘s suitability for the project under
consideration. Information contained in the site‘s inventory maps can be synthesized to create one or
more maps of the site‘s suitability for development, generally, or its suitability for specific program
objectives. Site suitability for a specific project is a function of the site‘s assets and liabilities or
opportunities and constraints.
The assets (opportunities) associated with a site may be unique natural or cultural resources that
warrant protection. These assets may enhance the site‘s aesthetic quality and contribute to the site‘s
sense of place within the community or region. Many sites include degraded natural areas that should
be restored or enhanced in conjunction with the site‘s development. Site constraints include chemical
contamination from prior commercial or industrial uses. The site analysis may assess whether
environmental remediation is needed, what action should be taken to protect adjacent properties from
contamination, and what buildings and infrastructures can be used or recycled.
The site analysis also considers regulatory constraints such as zoning and other land use controls.
Mapping the site‘s opportunities and constraints is essential for sustainable land planning and design.
Providing an understanding of the site within its biophysical and socio-cultural context, the site
analysis can be useful to allied professions engaged in the land development and impact mitigation
process.
Table 3.1 Hazards, constraints, or nuisances that may influence site selection and development

Figure 3.1 Information from the site analysis is utilized by many professions engaged in the land
development process.
A site inventory mapping the site‘s physical, biological, and cultural attributes is not a site analysis.
A vegetation map, for example, may show the site‘s existing conditions for a single attribute the
locations of plant communities and also, perhaps, individual specimen trees. This map, like other
inventory maps, is valid for any use that might be considered for that site. The fate of the existing
vegetation depends on the decisions made in subsequent phases of the site-planning process.

3.2 Quantifying and mapping Physical element and features of the site, its physical and
biological condition and the presence of threats
3.2.1 Site Assessment Phases
1. Site Selection
Land development typically occurs in one of two ways: clients have a site and choose a program to
develop on that site, or clients have a program of intended uses and need a site for those uses. Across
the urban–rural continuum, parcels of land vary greatly in size, shape, character, and context. Site
selection involves identifying and evaluating alternative sites and selecting the best location for the
intended program. More details on the site selection process can be found.
2. Site Inventory
Collectively, the features of the site and its surroundings, in conjunction with the project‘s program,
determine the attribute data that are collected for the site inventory. Site inventories map important
physical, biological, and social or cultural attributes (Table 1-4). These may include circulation
patterns and traffic volumes, existing utility systems, or architectural character within the
surrounding built environment. On large projects, attribute mapping and analysis are particularly well
suited for applications of geographic information systems. Ecologists, hydrologists, anthropologists,
and other experts may participate in collecting, mapping, and analyzing site and contextual attribute
data. Yet for any given program and site, there are always attributes that can be ignored to make the
process more efficient. The project‘s program or intended uses of the site helps limit the scope of this
data collection effort.
Table 3.2 Examples of physical, biological, and cultural attributes that may be mapped at the site
scale.

Figure 3.2 Relationship between attribute mapping and land use suitability analysis.

3.3 Recording Soil and topography aspects, habitat resources, existing fauna and flora and
climatic factors
Every site is embedded within a landscape. The site inventory is an essential step in understanding
the character of the site and the physical, biological, and cultural linkages between the site and the
surrounding landscape. Land development, restoration, and management require a broad knowledge
of, and appreciation for, environmental and cultural systems. Both basic and applied research has
contributed to our understanding of physical, biological, and cultural phenomena. This knowledge
base is the foundation for land planning, design, and management theory.
The site inventory may be completed in stages by a team of specialists. The first stage of any
inventory involves site reconnaissance. This relatively quick site assessment identifies potentially
significant site assets and liabilities. After the initial reconnaissance, one of the first tasks is to
develop a base map. The base map serves as the template for attribute mapping and analysis, as well
as for subsequent land planning and design. If a topographic survey of the site is available, the base
map could include project boundaries and other key site information (Table 3.3). If the site
reconnaissance includes an aerial inspection, oblique aerial photos of the site can provide useful
contextual information.
Table 3.3 Site data that may be conveyed on a topographic survey

A. SOILS
Physical, biological, and often cultural factors influence soil genesis and morphology. Climate,
parent material, and landform position are key physical factors. Biological factors include the
growth, death, and decomposition of vegetation, microorganisms, and other biota living above
ground or within the soil itself. Soil properties are also affected by previous land use (Ferguson,
1999). Depending on the site‘s location and the intended program, soil attributes that an inventory
may consider include the following:
 Acidity/alkalinity (pH)
 Permeability
 Erosion potential
 Depth to seasonally high-water table
 Depth-to-bedrock
Subsurface conditions affect not only the complexity of excavation and construction but also the
design of new structures. A new building or structure must be designed and constructed to ensure
that the integrity of the structure is not compromised. For structures in higher northern latitudes, for
example, foundations must be constructed to a depth below the lowest frost level. This depth may be
three or more feet (about one meter) below the ground surface. For large multistory buildings,
foundations are constructed to considerably greater depths.
B. Topography
Topography is an important factor in most land planning decisions. Consequently, having a
topographic survey of the site is often essential. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) makes
topographic maps at several scales (for example, 1:250,000, 1:24,000). These maps provide
information on the biophysical and cultural context of a community or region. Site topographic
surveys, in contrast, are much larger in scale and are usually completed by a licensed land surveyor
in accordance with specifications tailored to the program and the site. Three key attribute maps can
be derived from a topographic survey. These maps graphically depict elevation, slope, and aspect
three fundamental landform components.
Elevation
Spatial variation in elevation produces slopes that have both a gradient and an orientation— or
aspect. Each of these three attributes can have a substantial influence on site planning and design

decisions. Site elevations, for example, affect both drainage patterns and visibility. Variation of
elevation on a site and the surrounding landscape determines the size and spatial configuration of
local view sheds. Visible areas may encompass portions of the site, or the entire site, and they may
extend into the surrounding landscape.
Slope
Differences in soil parent materials and weathering account for characteristic landforms or landscape
‗‗signatures.‘‘ Landforms and, therefore, slopes, are the result of constructional processes (for
example, deposition) and destructional processes (for example, erosion) acting on geologic structures
(Bloom, 1978). Moreover, the slopes of undeveloped sites reflect the local area‘s surficial geology. A
site‘s suitability for roads, walkways, buildings, and other structures is, in part, a function of the
existing slopes on the site. In Hong Kong and San Francisco, for example, development frequently
occurs on sites with steep slopes. But these cities have relatively warm climates. In locations with
freezing winter temperatures, steep slopes are a significant safety concern when designing vehicle
and pedestrian circulation systems. Gradients must be relatively low to prevent slipping on icy
surfaces.
Aspect
A slope‘s orientation, or aspect, is simply the direction that the slope faces. Aspect is typically
identified, therefore, by compass direction (for example, north or northeast). Variation in slope and
aspect influence the amount of solar radiation received by the site on a daily and seasonal basis. For
example, in the Northern Hemisphere, north-facing, ten degree slopes will receive less solar radiation
than south-facing slopes of the same gradient. In the winter, the sun‘s highest point above the horizon
is an acute angle. The north-facing slopes, when exposed to direct sunlight, receive less solar
radiation per unit surface area than do the south-facing slopes. Because the slope faces away from the
sun, the solar radiation striking a north-facing slope hits the surface at a shallow, or acute, angle.
Consequently, sunlight strikes the slope in a more diffuse pattern, delivering to the surface less-solar
energy per unit area. As with other physical attributes, the importance of a slope‘s aspect depends,
partly, on the proposed uses of the site. At higher northern latitudes, for example, south-facing slopes
are better suited for siting buildings that will incorporate active and/or passive solar heating. A
project that involves siting downhill skiing slopes will certainly consider slope, elevation, and aspect.
Conversely, a north-facing slope may be better suited for ski trail development in areas with
relatively mild winters, to limit the melting of snow from direct solar radiation.

C. CLIMATE
Atmospheric conditions that may influence site planning and design decisions include precipitation,
air temperature, solar incidence, wind direction, and wind speed. These attributes vary annually,
seasonally, and daily. Seasonal and monthly climate data are available from national weather
services. Local weather records can provide additional information about the daily weather
conditions that can be expected each season. Collectively, these data include the following:
 Temperature (maximum, minimum, and day/night temperature variation)
 Humidity (high, low, and averages)
 Wind (maximum, average velocity, and direction)
 Rainfall (monthly total and maximum for any one day) & Snowfall (monthly total and
maximum for any one day)
 Solar radiation (monthly average)
 Potential natural hazards
D. ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES
An ecological community is an aggregation of interacting species living together in the same place.
Complex interactions among climate, soils, topography, natural disturbances, and the organisms
themselves influence the composition and spatial distribution of ecological communities.
Communities are often named for the dominant plant species, which may be dominant because of
either its physical size or abundance. Eco tones the spatial 127 boundaries of communities are
especially important areas, biologically. Animals that are mobile may find shelter in one eco tone but
more abundant food in another.
1. Habitat Fragmentation
Human activities such as agriculture, forestry, and urban development have dramatically altered the
structure and ecological function of many, if not most, of the landscapes in Europe and heavily
civilized parts of other continents. Continuing land use changes may destroy some habitats but also
fragment and functionally disconnect others. Fragmentation of ecological corridors and other habitats
is a global environmental concern. Natural corridors in the landscape facilitate the movement of
organisms between habitats. Existing corridors, therefore, are particularly important elements in most
landscapes and require protection to help maintain biodiversity and ecosystem connectivity.
Identifying gaps in these corridors is also important because these can be targets for restoration.

Large, contiguous natural areas, especially riparian corridors, should be given the highest priority for
protection from development. But simply leaving natural areas untouched may not be enough to
ensure their continued biodiversity. Small, isolated patches of forest, for example, may lose
indigenous animal species because of the barriers created by adjacent development. Many animal
species need more than one habitat type for different life cycle stages, such as reproduction and
migration. The daily activities of seeking food and water, for example, also may be hindered by the
habitat‘s surroundings.
2. Exotic Species
For thousands of years, plant and animal species have been adapting to habitats altered by human
activities. Coincident with European settlement of North America, many introduced species became
naturalized. Centuries of global trade, migration, and settlement have introduced thousands of non-
native or exotic species to new environments.
These exotic and sometimes invasive species include mega fauna, like horses and pigs. They also
include mega flora, like the eucalyptus and melaleuca trees. Examples of other exotic plants include
vines and shrubs. Within the United States, an estimated 50,000 species of exotic plants, animals, and
microbes cause significant ecological changes in both managed and natural ecosystems .Nearly half
of the species listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act are at risk
primarily because of predation by, or competition with, invasive nonnative species. Exotic species
also have substantial economic impacts.
Annual expenditures for the control of nonindigenous species are estimated to exceed $6 billion per
year in the United States alone (Pimentel et al., 2000, pp. 53–65). Carried by ships, trucks, and
airplanes, both large and small species have been introduced into new habitats. Exotic species are
particularly successful colonizers when the new habitats present minimal constraints to their
development and reproduction. Typically, these competitive controls limit the populations of each
species in their home territories. One type of competitive control is predation. A potentially invasive
species may be limited in its native habitat by grazing (in the case of plants) or predation (in the case
of animals). Other species may compete for the same resources, such as food and space. Competition
for the same ecological ‗‗niche‘‘ helps hold in check the populations of the competing species.
William E. Odum (1959), in the classic Fundamentals of Ecology, writes.
3. Wetlands

Since the beginning of European settlement in the early 1600s, the area that is now the coterminous
United States has lost through agriculture, urban development, and other land uses more than half the
area‘s original wetland acreage (Dahl, 1990). In the United States, the federal agencies involved in
wetland regulation define wetlands on the basis of hydrology, vegetation, and soils. Most states have
also developed regulatory definitions of wetlands, but these definitions tend to emphasize the
presence of certain vegetation, rather than the area‘s soils and hydrology. Wetlands classified on the
basis of plant and soil conditions generally fall into one of the following three categories:
 Areas with hydrophytes and hydric soils (marshes, swamps, and bogs)
 Areas without soils but with hydrophytes (aquatic beds and seaweed-covered rocky shores)
 Areas without soil and without hydrophytes (gravel beaches and tidal flats) that are
periodically flooded
The federal Fish and Wildlife Service‘s wetland classification scheme has five general classes
and several subclasses, as follows;
 Marine (open ocean and its associated coastline)
 Estuarine (tidal waters of coastal rivers and embayments, salty tidal marshes, mangrove
swamps, and tidal flats)
 Riverine (rivers and streams)
 Lacustrine (lakes, reservoirs, and large ponds)
 Palustrine (marshes, wet meadows, fens, playas, potholes, pocosins, bogs, swamps, and
small shallow ponds) A large majority of the wetlands in the United States are in the
palustrine system; most of the remaining wetlands are in the estuarine system.
E. TREES
Trees on a site are assets that can yield multiple ecological, economic, and social benefits. Trees
provide shade and can reduce heating and cooling costs of nearby buildings. By providing a
significant natural amenity, trees also can increase the value of real estate by as much as 15 percent
(National Association of Home Builders, 1991). The International Society of Arboriculture, a
nonprofit organization dedicated to research and education, identifies four factors to consider in
evaluating the economic value of trees (Perry, 1999):
 Tree size
 Tree species (hardy, well-adapted species are worth most)

 Tree condition or health (for example, roots, trunks, branches, leaves)
Tree location (functional and aesthetic values) Trees serve multiple design functions that directly
benefit people. For example, they provide shade, screen undesirable views, and serve as wind breaks.
Trees also have significant aesthetic value. They may provide a focal point or visual amenity, or
provide spatial enclosure for an ‗‗outdoor room‘‘. Consequently, a tree standing alone is usually
worth more from an economic perspective than one that is growing in a group. During the
construction of buildings, utilities, and other site structures, existing trees on a site require protection.
Common, yet easily avoided, construction damage may kill trees outright or lead to their slow
demise. Typical construction impacts include soil compaction of the root zone, scraping the bark
from trunks and branches, and grading (that is, cutting or filling) within the root zone. Many species
of trees have a fine-meshed mat of feeder roots within the top 12 inches (30.48 cm) of soil.
Therefore, construction disturbances should not occur within the ‗‗drip line‘‘ of a tree‘s canopy, at
the very least. Increasingly common are municipal tree preservation ordinances that require the
protection of trees throughout the development process (Arendt, 1999).
3.4 Determining and recording options for passive and active interventions.
Adaptive resource management: - is a structured, iterative process of robust decision making in the
face of uncertainty, with an aim to reducing uncertainty over time via system monitoring. In this
way, decision making simultaneously meets one or more resource management objectives and, either
passively or actively, accrues information needed to improve future management. Adaptive
management is a tool which should be used not only to change a system, but also to learn about the
system. Because adaptive management is based on a learning process, it improves long - run
management outcomes. The challenge in using the adaptive management approach lies in finding the
correct balance between gaining knowledge to improve management in the future and achieving the
best short - term outcome based on current knowledge
Adaptive management can proceed as either passive adaptive management or active adaptive
management, depending on how learning takes place. Passive adaptive management values learning
only insofar as it improves decision outcomes (i.e. passively), as measured by the specified utility
function. In contrast, active adaptive management explicitly incorporates learning as part of the
objective function, and hence, decisions which improve learning are valued over those which do not.
In both cases, as new knowledge is gained, the models are updated and optimal management
strategies are derived accordingly. Thus, while learning occurs in both cases, it is treated differently.
Often, deriving actively adaptive policies is technically very difficult, which prevents it being more
commonly applied.

Name…………………………………………… ID………………………… Date…….


1. Define landform, soil, topography and habitat. (3pts)
2. Define adaptive resource management. (4pts)
3. Describe passive adaptive management or active adaptive management? (3pts)
You can ask your teacher for the copy of the correct answers

LO #4- Develop a concept design
LG #10
Instruction sheet
 preparing Concept design
 Undertaking Consultation with the stake holders
 Using a professional graphic format
 Prepare Concept design
 Undertake Consultation with the stake holders
 Use a professional graphic format


Information Sheet 4
4.1 preparing Concept design
In recent years, workplace consultants and strategists have become increasingly interested in
designing physical environments that promote organizational success. Although there are many ways
to measure success, a number of factors consistently show up in effectiveness metrics. These include
the following:
 Achieving organizational mission

 Product/service quality and value
 Customer satisfaction
 Capacity for innovation and creativity
 Adaptation to organizational and technological change
 Effective information sharing and communication
 Employee attraction and retention
 Effective group and individual work
 Quality of work life
 Developing partnerships and alliances
 Operational efficiency
 Image and branding
For any given organization, measures of effectiveness vary, depending upon its mission,
environmental context, nature of work, the product or service it produces, and customer demands.
Thus, the first step in evaluating organizational effectiveness is to understand the organization
itself—how it functions, how it is structured, and what it emphasizes.
4.2 Undertaking Consultation with the stake holders
Consultation with the stake holders is undertaken to establish agreement on options and approaches
for development in accordance with the proposed ecological aims and goals.

For projects that have environmental and social impacts, consultation will not be a single
conversation but a series of opportunities to create understanding about the project among those it
will likely affect or interest, and to learn how these external parties view the project and its attendant
risks, impacts, opportunities, and mitigation measures. Listening to stakeholder concerns and
feedback can be a valuable source of information that can improve project design and outcomes and
help a company to identify and control external risks. It can also form the basis for future
collaboration and partnerships. For stakeholders, a company‘s consultation process is an opportunity
to get information, as well as to educating company staff about the local context in which a project
will take place, to raise issues and concerns, ask questions, potentially help and shape the project by
making suggestions for the company to consider and respond to.

Name…………………………………………… ID………………………… Date…….

1. Why Consultation with the stake holders is undertaken? (3pts)
2. Describe elements that workplace consultants and strategists have interested in designing
physical environments that promote organizational success? (7pts)

LO #5- Produce a final plan
LG #11
Instruction sheet
 preparing a detailed plan
 Clearly communicating Information on the plan
 Including Plan, notes and specifications
 Organizing and/or preparing Further landscape design documentation
 preparing a detailed plan
 Clearly communicating Information on the plan
 Including Plan, notes and specifications
 Organizing and/or preparing Further landscape design documentation

Information Sheet 5
5.1 preparing a detailed plan

5.1.1 Component and Guidelines to Prepare NR Management Plan
Planning involves the formulation of a broad frame work or guidelines along which action is to be
taken in the year to come. A logical easily assembled and practical plan structure has four main parts
as follow
Parts of NR management plan structure
1. Basic information
Basic geographical, ecological resource, social, industrial and environmental information having
direct relevance to issues concerning future NR management will be identified.
2. Management goal and specific objectives
One goal and several specific objectives preferably, not more than five with the primary objective
being related to NR management will be established.
3. Management proposal
Prescription should be directly related to objectives and include forest protection arrangements, the
yield and how it will be controlled, monitoring and reporting arrangements.
4. Records of natural resources history
Information on all forest operations recorded in compartment history records and measured annually.
5.1.2 A model NR management plan format

A) Basic information
 Authority, period of operations and polices
Name of management plan
Legal( or controlling) authority
Period of operation ( term)
Local or national policy statement
 Location, area and legal description of forest land
location and area
legal description

 Physical resource
Climate
Hydrology
managerial implications of climate and hydrology
 Geology
topography
 Soils and land use
soil type
land uses
land uses capability classification ( only if relevant)
 Forest resources
vegetation types
ecological problems concerning vegetation
summary of forest type and land use class
silivicutural systems, types, strength and limitations
forest growth and yield data ( tables)
 Transport issues
 Social issues involving natural forests
Characteristics of community groups
Social dependency patterns on the natural forest
Social conflicts
 Wild life resources
 Environmental issues
 Forest protection and security
B) Goal and objectives The identification of a management goal and specific objectives for a NR
management unit, according to policy priorities, resource potential is and constraints
Goal-is a long-term aim, derived from environment policy or determine as the end-point of a
Strategy to achieve sustainable resources development. Only one goal should be determined and
defined for any particular management unit.

Objectives-are measurable activities, or out puts, which state specific results to achieve during a
specified period of time. Several objectives may be determined and defined in a forest management
plan. Each objective should be clear about:
-What activities will be under taken,

-Where there will be happen,
-Who has responsible for taking action,
-When the action should be taken,
-When action should be completed,
-How will be achieved, or specific quantitative statements concerning outputs,
-Why an activity will contribute to achievement of an objective.
C) Management prescription
A plan having sustainable production of wood as a primary objectives should, as a minimum include
prescription of the following topics
• Forest and land use zoning
• Pre-harvest inventory for annual yield planning
• Continuous forest inventory for determination of forest growth and derivation of yields
• Tactical harvest planning including wood harvesting and log transport arrangements.
D) Annexes
-map, including remote sensing imagery
-technical details of topics expressed in part I
-Records: -comprehensive compartment records of forest operations
5.1.3 NR management plan formulation guidelines
Guidelines for formulating and drafting a mgt plan are:
• Plans should be prepared in conformity with a country‘s forest policy, legislation and regulations
• The planning process must overcome past managerial problems and should provide workable,
positive and affordable solutions to these problems

• Plans must be affordable and should be able to support the implementation of realistic budget: it
is unwise to prescribe action if it is unlikely that implementation can be funded.
• Monitoring and reporting requirements should be expressed in the form of prescription.
 A plan should not be approved without monitoring and reporting included.
• Frequent dialogue will all people having an interest in the formulation of a plan and its
implementation is to be encouraged.
5.2 Clearly communicating Information on the plan

Management plan approval and clear communication
The basic requirements for gaining approval of a NR management plans are as follows:
 When completed, an executive summary of a management plan should be assembled setting out
the primary feature of it, including the goal objectives, its location, operational features of the
Silvicultural systems, community participation and NR protection arrangements.
 The principal feature of the plan should be explained and discussed with senior staff in an oral
presentation.
 The plan should be passed to the office of the approving officer with the support of covering
letter.
 Plans prepared for NR on private land should be approved by the government NR authority to
ensure that the plan quality is acceptable, to strengthen the bases of the national NR policy and
to ensure that the rights of third parties are protected.
 Appropriate construction and engineering principles are applied to the natural resources area
plan according to accepted organizations‘ standards and regulations.
5.3 Including Plan, notes and specifications
The following guidelines for formulating management plan prescription are suggested:
 Prescription should be concisely written, specific to the issues being addressed and should be
related to specific objectives. They should not be vague or ambiguous.
 Prescription should not be too long or too technical.
 Prescription must be measurable or capable of being monitored easily, so that progress can be
periodically reported.


Name…………………………………………… ID………………………… Date…….
1. What are Parts of NR management plan? (7pts)
2. Describe guidelines for formulating management plan prescription? (3pts)


Participating in Designing Sustainable Natural Resources

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Natural Resources Conservation and Development

Module Title: - Participating in Designing Sustainable

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In addition, strategic planning does the following:

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1.4 Outlining mechanisms for sustainable utilization of natural resources

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1.5 Designing monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in the plan

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1.6 Identifying appropriate mechanisms for infrastructures development

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Name…………………………………………… ID………………………… Date…….

Note: Satisfactory rating - 5 points Unsatisfactory - below 5 points

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 Establish experience sharing mechanisms among communities and farmers

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2.1 Establishing experience sharing mechanisms among communities and farmers

2.1.1 Sustainable natural resources utilization

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2.2 Identifying and advertising natural resources potential areas

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2.2.1 Natural Resource Distribution

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Name…………………………………………… ID………………………… Date…….

Note: Satisfactory rating - 5 points Unsatisfactory - below 5 points

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3.1 Visiting and inspecting the site

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Name…………………………………………… ID………………………… Date…….

Test I: Short Answer Questions

Note: Satisfactory rating - 10 points Unsatisfactory - below 10 points

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4.1 preparing Concept design

 Achieving organizational mission

4.2 Undertaking Consultation with the stake holders

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