Resource Protection & Landscape Ecology

Humankind has been using natural resources, including water, soil and air as well as mineral resources, landscapes and biological diversity throughout its existence. Due to the continued growth of the global economy, natural resources are being exploited beyond all measure. The consequence is dramatic environmental degradation.

The Department of Resource Protection & Landscape Ecology is concerned with the question how natural resources can be protected and used sustainably at the same time. Its work centers on the question which social, psychological, legal, ethical and economic influences determine the potentials and limitations of resource protection.

Developing, studying and testing tools that support decision-making at the societal as well as individual levels regarding resource protection and use are particular focal areas. In this context, tools include scientific studies, legal provisions, educational interventions, political discourses and participation processes.

Projects handled by the Department of Resource Protection & Landscape Ecology