The Importance Of Recognizing Outstanding Landscapes: Guidelines For Preserving Environmental Resources

Benefits of Preserving the Environment in New Zealand

Question:

Write about the Environmental Law for Landscapes.

Many nations have benefited from landscapes in different ways. [1]However, there have been arguments in many nations on who should be given the responsibility of making sure that the landscapes are preserved. To make sure that there are defined rules on who should be accountable of the landscapes, there are laws in place that are used to guide the respective nations on what to do when it comes to matters of landscapes exactly. New Zealand is one of the many nations that have benefited from the landscape. The nation has earned a lot of money from tourists who are attracted by the physical features. With that in mind, it is evident that the question of who should be given the responsibility to guard the landscapes is eminent.

The government is divided into different parts and levels with the aim of reaching the citizens on the ground. The levels of governments have different obligations and responsibilities in preserving the environment. It is for this reason that there should be clear guidelines on who exactly should take care of the environment. Such makes sure that there is someone who has been given the responsibility of looking after the physical features which are of benefit to the region and the nation. The question of who should recognize the outstanding landscapes should be tackled in different ways and from different perspectives.

⁷Though in New Zealand there lacked proper rules that were supposed to guide the government on who to look after the landscapes and manage them; the need has risen for the last few years. This is because the nation has seen the importance of having landscapes. There before, landscapes were viewed as features that only exist and there was no need to look after them. There are different reasons why the national planning instrument should recognize the outstanding landscapes. [2]

One of the primary responsibilities of any given government is to make sure that the nation earns from the resources it has. ⁸According to Jackson, New Zealand has already seen the results of taking good care of the environment. The fact that the outstanding landscapes have acted as tourists' attraction sites makes them an economic resource. For the government to be able to take care of its citizens, it must have resources in place. One of the most important resources is money. ¹⁵though the government may not have a full control of the tourism sector, using the natural resources it has would have a great impact on the economy of the nation.

To understand this point well, it is important to borrow an example from some of the African nations. There have been cries that most traders from Asia are trading with the African poachers. One of the most important and common African natural resources is wildlife. Just like in New Zealand, some governments in Africa pocket a lot of money from wildlife tourism. Therefore, the governments in Africa are the ones responsible for wildlife and they do all they can to protect the wildlife. Such has helped the nation in many ways.⁹

Importance of Clear Guidelines on Preserving the Environment

It is the responsibility of the nation to make sure that it looks after the well-being of the natural resources. Failure to do so, the resources might be misused which might have an effect in the future. The reason why it is good to preserve some of the resources is to make sure that the face of the history is maintained and passed from generation to another. In the given example of Africa, if nothing is done, it is more likely that the next generation will be heard of elephants and rhinos but will never see them. Such is the case that is likely to happen if the outstanding landscapes are not recognized by the national planning instrument. ¹⁶Therefore, for the sustenance of the landscapes, the inclusion of the national planning instrument is of great essence.

In the twenty-first century, the issue of environment pollution is common. To make sure that such does not happen, there needs to be a body in place that is given the responsibility of taking good care of the environment. ¹⁰The reason why the national planning instrument is more suitable for taking care of the landscapes is that it has the machinery putting into consideration it is funded by the national government. [3]At the same time, the national policies cannot be compared with the regional policies; they are far different and more advanced since they look after the needs of the entire nation.

Bringing in the national planning instruments is making sure that the needed dedication is given to the landscapes. The outstanding landscapes of New Zealand are features known by many people all over the world. Such means that the natural resources, if not guarded, might affect the nation's reputation. It is the responsibility of the national planning instrument to do so.⁶

With all said and done; it is also important to state that the national planning instrument should only be dedicated to taking care of the outstanding landscapes alone. The reason for stating so is because concentrating on all landscapes might have an effect on the effectiveness of the instrument. For example, if the national planning instrument concentrated its resources on the minor landscapes, the regional planning instrument would be left without responsibility. ¹⁴At the same time, the national planning instrument will be overstretched thus affecting its effectiveness in looking after the welfare of the environment.[4]

The person who knows more about a place is the person who lives in the place. ¹¹With such in mind, it is important to make sure that the natural resources are placed under the care of the local mechanism. There are reasons why the outstanding landscapes should be recognized by the regional planning instrument.

The person who lives in the rural New Zealand has more knowledge about the place, and the same case applies to the one living in the urban areas. With this in mind, the instrument that can be effective in taking care of the landscapes is the instrument that has more knowledge about the region. ⁵The local planning instrument is entrusted with the regional issues thus making it more conversant with the issues surrounding the regional affairs. The landscapes should be protected from the potential threats. Though the government has the machinery to make sure that the landscapes are preserved, the regional leadership is on the ground thus in a more suitable place to make sure that the natural resources are protected and guarded.

National Planning Instrument: The Most Suitable Entity to Take Care of Landscapes

In some nations, physical features are a heritage that the residents hold dearly in their hearts. ³Some residents take the preservation of the features serious. Therefore, a regional planning instrument is likely to make sure that the resource is not over-exploited. [5]At the same time, when a feature in a specific region is over exploited, the region tends to be affected. Because the regional members do not want to have a bad reputation, they are likely to give the local leadership an easy time in looking after the welfare of the natural features.[6]

The landscapes are natural features, and that means that they cannot migrate. For many years, the residents of a region live with the features, and that makes the communities and the features part and parcel of the region. Therefore, when a body from the locality is given a responsibility of taking care of the environment, it is more likely that the body does it with all the zeal, and it is determined to make sure that the features are well taken care of. It is for this reason that the regional planning instrument should recognize the outstanding landscapes. ⁴By so doing, the attention that will be given to the landscapes will be out of good will. At the same time, it is good to look at the whole issue from a financial perspective. The sustenance of a natural resource does not come without a cost. ¹Therefore, it is more likely for the national body to spend more resources in taking care of the landscapes. However, the case is different when it comes to the regional body. This is because the operations of the regional body are concentrated around the landscapes thus needing fewer resources to attend to attend to any matter related to the landscapes.

Conclusion

It is evident that landscapes play a crucial role in the development of any given region. The issue of who should recognize the precious resource is still a dilemma. However, both the national planning instrument and the regional planning instrument have a responsibility to play in preserving the environment. With this in mind, it is difficult to make a judgment of who should utilize the resources. The bottom line is that the outstanding landscapes must be guarded if the nation is aimed at preserving its environment and heritage.

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