Planning and Management: Physical Geography and Political Processes

Abstract

When it comes to environmental planning and management, physical geographers are not in charge of making the key decisions, nor should they be. The skills of physical geographers in environmental data collection and analysis makes them experts, but experts operating within a wider political system. Within this system the key decisions are made in response to a range of pressures, not just to those exerted by geographers as scientists. This may well mean that our aspirations of applying the findings of physical geography to meet environmental needs may be deflected by a whole host of factors. These could be the inadequacy of legislation, insufficient finance, an inappropriate structure of government and political power, or an ambivalent and apathetic public. A clear scientific analysis does not necessarily lead to a clear planning or management 'solution'.

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