3. Dimensions of NBT policy
NBT policy involves concerns for management of all
resources that can fulfill economic, social, and aesthetic
needs while maintaining cultural integrity, essential
ecological processes, biological diversity, and life
support systems. These seven dimensions underscore
the multi-dimensional and interdisciplinary aspects of
NBT policy issues.
First, resource management is involved in order to
reaffirm that NBT is an economic activity capable of
generating economic benefits for rural communities.
Environmental policies must leave room for individual
employment and economic well being to operate within
the ecological parameters. The policy issues involve the
need to fulfill social obligations, or more specifically,
intergenerational equity and respect for other livelihoods
and customs. Such variety and heritage is a major
resource for NBT in a world that is fast becoming
homogenized into a global economy. Culture, aesthetic
appeal, and preservation of heritage sites, townscapes
and rural landscapes are important components here as
well.
All of the above needs should be addressed within
ecological parameters to sustain both the physical and
human environments. In addition to the very real
concerns about the natural environment, conservation
of cultural legacies should not be ignored. Ecological
processes need to be understood so that NBT intrusions
will have minimal impact, especially in sensitive areas
like shorelines, riverbanks, mountains, and wetlands.