290040 PS Proseminar for preparating the field trip - Foreign Country: New Zealand (2009W)

New Zealand is one of the last land masses in the world to have been occupied by humans. Although parts of the country are still untouched, New Zealand provides a graphic case study of how humans have impacted and managed their environment. This course focuses on the varied resources and unique environment of New Zealand. It deals with resources use issues related to water, soil, land, climate and energy and examines the values and environmental threats, including hazards, associated with these resources. The institutional framework governing resource management and the policies and planning procedures for sustainable management are analysed and discussed. Examples of how central government departments and local governments manage national parks and control the use of resources are presented.