GE304 Resource Conservation and Management Assignment 3 Semester 1 2025 | USP

Submission

Upload the assignment on Moodle. It is the students' responsibility to check/upload the correct assignment. To upload a wrong or incomplete assignment is not acceptable, and the assignment will receive zero. Also, ensure the Turn-it-in score is 20% or less. 

This assignment provides students with an opportunity to research an issue related to resource conservation and management in their countries. Students need to narrow the scope of their chosen topic so they can conduct the research within the timeframe. 

Students in regional campuses are encouraged to conduct self-directed field research at their locations. Students at Laucala Campus will have an opportunity to visit selected field sites for this assignment. However, they need to link their observations from the field to their research. 

Approaching The Field School

The field school is an opportunity for students to access the 'field' to complete the Research report assignment of the course. This means the site visits and information/presentation sessions are the 'sources ' upon which students can collect information for their research, besides the readings. The final research report is not a diary entry nor a mere description of the field school. Rather, it is about the findings of one's research on a topic of choice. 

For students at Laucala, the chosen 'field' is Suva to Sigatoka, a region where the use, conservation and management of resources intersect at many levels, albeit with competition. The expressions of intersections between the uses of resources, conservation and management come in multiple ways (hotel development, village conservation projects, government-led programmes, etc) that make it a region of choice. Although familiar, it is a region where the nuances of competing uses of resources, their conservation and management go hand in hand. Thus, whether you are a first timer or frequent visitor to the region, it is important to 'keep eyes and ears open' to nuances and tensions between resource use, conservation and management that remain untapped by an uncritical eye. 

The following are broad topics for consideration. Students need to choose one topic or a refinement. All topics relate to the overall theme of resource conservation and management in the Pacific Islands. While the previous two paragraphs are intended for students at Laucala, students in regional campuses may consider the same topics or related ones, but with specific reference to their countries. Importantly, students need to narrow each topic concerning a specific resource or a resource sector concerning their country.

• To what degree does the work plan and activities of the Sigatoka Research Station address the objectives of the CBD?
• What is the role of the Taiwan Technical Mission to food security and research in Fiji?
• Is gender an important aspect in resource conservation and management work in Fiji?
• What potential does the Sigatoka River holds for the Nadroga/Navosa Province?
• Should the Sigatoka River have the same legal rights as afforded to human beings?
• What is the role of the Nadroga/Navosa Provincial Office in resource conservation and management of the Province?
• WhatroledoesFiji'sGreenGrowthFrameworkplayinpromotingsustainable development?
• Should the Sigatoka Sand Dunes be more than just a place for 'tourists'to visit?
• Does youth environmental activism have a place in resource conservation and management in the Pacific?
• To what extent do youths participate in resource conservation and management work in Fiji?
• How do rangers mitigate the impacts of threats to the Sigatoka Sand Dunes?
• Why is the conservation and management of the Sigatoka Sand Dune important for the protection of the natural and cultural heritage of Fiji?
• Are we doing enough to protect the cultural heritage of Fiji (or your country)? Should this be more of a concern for Fiji (or your country)?
• How important is the Chipko Movement in the conservation of forests in Fiji and/or your own country?
• What role does GIS play in the conservation and management of endangered resources in Fiji?
• How can we utilise the potential of GIS (use of drone technology) as a tool for resource conservation and management?
• What role does community-based conservation play in Sigatoka Valley? A Case Study. 
• Is a one-day field school enough to 'be with nature' in what Ralph Waldo suggested?
• What value do cooperation and partnership hold for resource conservation and management in Fiji (and your country)?
• What role does USP have to promote, if not facilitate, the conservation and management of resources in Fiji (and your country)?
• Is the 2021-2030 vision of the Draft Framework for Biodiversity reflected in the work on resource conservation and management in Fiji (or your country)

Assignment 3 Format

Assignment 3: Research Project 

Tutorial: Tuesday, 9-10 am 

Introduction 

This research project is about the lessons learnt from the REDD+ initiative to safeguard Fiji's indigenous forests. It argues that while this initiative has brought about some relief to Fiji's efforts to restore forests, evidence suggests that there is work remaining. Using the case study of ... 

The project aims to ... 

This research used several methods to collect the relevant information

The project has four sections. The first 

Forestry Resources: Literature Review 

Research finding 

Conclusion 

(Word count: 1475 words) 

List of References (not Bibliography) 

Any convention is acceptable -Harvard, MLA or APA -however, consistency is key.