LinCEJ Seminar: Effective Stewardship of Rural Lands: Good Laws may be Necessary but they are Not Sufficient

The Lincoln Centre for Ecological Justice (LinCEJ) is delighted to announce the return of its Seminar Series for 2022-23. Our first seminar will be given by Prof. Paul Martin (Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law) on Tuesday 11th of October at 10am.

To register for the event, please follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/soils-effective-stewardship-of-rural-lands-tickets-427900450767

Effective Stewardship of Rural Lands: Good Laws may be Necessary but they are Not Sufficient

Based on a number of empirical evaluations of biodiversity and rural lands regulation, this talk considers what is additionally needed (beyond good laws) for effective public regulation of the environmental attributes of rural lands. The talk will particularly consider a recent 5 country in-dept empirical evaluation of the implementation of environmental laws, and the issue of feasibility of effective legal governance. It will conclude with some recommendations of what has to be done to ensure more effective environmental law.

Biography

Professor Martin, the director of the Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law (www.une.edu.au/aglaw) at the University of New England, has substantial experience in leading research on natural resource governance (including water) and on Law and policy issues affecting rural people, including Aboriginal people. He has done substantial work on the effectiveness, efficiency and fairness of environmental governance in Australia and internationally. He has a record of external funding for research conducted through his Centre, from domestic and international, government, NGO and industry collaborators. His postgraduate research students have investigated (or are currently investigating) issues such as trans-boundary biodiversity protection in the High Pamirs; forest governance in Thailand; the use of gaming methods to improve corporate risk management; the protection of Aboriginal interests in traditional food and culture; mining benefit-sharing in Papua New Guinea, and many other topics. Among his service roles is as a member of the Governing Board of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law and as chair of its research committee. In 2022 he completed a multi-year, five country empirical investigation on the effectiveness of biodiversity laws, involving the IUCN Environmental Law Centre in Bonn, the World Commission on Environmental Law, and the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law. He has conducted other in-depth studies on improving the effectiveness of biodiversity protection in Australia and Brazil.

Story submitted by Sandra Varga
svarga@lincoln.ac.uk