A review of the activities of the United Nations Scientific Conference
on the Conservation and Utilization of Resources
Origins and organization of the conference
Plenary sessions
Technical section on forestry
It would be difficult to cite any particular date as - marking the beginning of the application of science to the conservation of natural resources. During the ages man has accumulated a vast amount of empirical knowledge regarding conservation of the soil and its fertility, management of forests, control of streamflow, and mining; but at least some of the methods used long ago would today be classed as scientific. Long before the Christian era, highly developed agricultural practices and brilliantly conceived and executed flood-control measures were in existence in China, land surveying was practiced in Egypt, and irrigation had reached a high stage of perfection in the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates. But, great though the abilities developed in certain lands undoubtedly were, they did not spread easily from region to region; and even in the most advanced countries the amount of attention given to different resources varied widely. For example, China saved much of its best soil, but allowed its forests to suffer destruction.
During the earliest historic times and for many centuries thereafter, many parts of the world were so thinly populated that the effects of man upon his environment were of little significance; but in other regions, where population was denser, misuse of natural resources sometimes led to the downfall of whole civilizations.
During the nineteenth century the development of modern science and its application to practical problems, together with the creation of world-wide communication networks, set the stage for new approaches to the whole question of management and conservation of natural resources. At the same time, the phenomenal increase in population which followed the Industrial Revolution lent new urgency to conservation problems and raised serious questions regarding the quantities of food, clothing, shelter, metals, and fuel which the earth could provide to its children. Far-seeing men began to realize that the resources themselves were not unlimited and that the rapid increase in population would necessitate more careful use of soils and waters and forests and' minerals. Above all, reckless and stupid destruction of valuable resources had to be stopped.
During the present century the pressure on resources has continued to mount. Two disastrous world wars have accelerated resource wastage yet have not checked the growth of the world's population. On the other hand, international co-operation for ascertaining facts on a world-wide basis, defining specific problems, and searching for solutions of those problems has developed rapidly during the past fifty years. Natural resources are now finding that place in the consultations of governments to which their importance as the essential bases of life and wealth entitles them.
Today the direct connection between the extent of available resources and the number of people that the world can support with reasonable health and comfort is widely realized. One school of thought believes that continuation of the present rate of population increase for another one hundred years will inevitably lead to overcrowding and to debasement of living standards. Others think that modern science can so greatly increase the productivity of existing resources that no just cause for alarm exists. But both groups agree that the careless and destructive treatment of resources, which still continues on a vast scale, must be halted if disaster is not to overtake the human race.
As the broad problems of resource conservation have been clarified, it has become increasingly evident that plans for conservation, if they are to be effective, must comprise proper management of all resources simultaneously. It no longer suffices to spend great efforts on methods of soil treatment and to neglect the maintenance of ground-water levels, or to build elaborate and costly dams while leaving deforested drainage basins to fill their storage areas with silt. A country which wastefully dissipates its underground resources of minerals eventually will suffer, no matter how scientific its agriculture may be. Furthermore, the time has come when each acre of land, each gallon of water, and each ton of mineral should be devoted to the use for which it is best suited and which will result in the greatest good to the greatest number of people. These ideas provided the principal themes of the United Nations Scientific Conference on the Conservation and Utilization of Resources held at Lake Success between 17 August and 6 September 1949.
The Conference, attended by nearly 600 delegates representing 49 countries and 8 international organizations, was unique in many ways, not least of which was the fact that it adopted no resolutions and made no recommendations to governments. It brought together agriculturists, foresters mining experts, and many other kinds of resource specialists from many lands and, through a series of section meetings devoted to individual resources, provided for the interchange of experience between experts and administrators in each special field. This in itself was important; but even more important was the unique opportunity which was provided for specialists to broaden their knowledge and appreciation of the problems arising in fields other than their own. Foresters were able to attend technical meetings devoted to soil conservation; experts in coal mining listened to the discussions of petroleum agriculturists assisted at meetings devoted principally to the development of hydroelectric power; and livestock experts came in contact with the practical problems of wildlife management and marine fisheries. Furthermore, in the plenary sessions special attention was given to the essential unity of conservation problems and the ways in which the management of one resource may affect the well-being of others.
It has become more and more evident that the uncorrelated efforts undertaken in various fields to preserve natural resources should be viewed as a whole. It is necessary to attempt a global stock-taking at the same time, since obviously the over-all situation can greatly influence any revisions of national policies that may appear advisable. The lasting achievement of this meeting is that it provided just that opportunity. This general stock-taking both from the geographical and from the subject-matter points of view will have far-reaching results. It will take time for the new concepts that must inevitably be the result of this meeting to crystallize in the minds of those who were present and of those who will follow the deliberations through the final printed reports, and be transmuted into practical measures. One of the strongest impressions the meeting gave - both to the specialists who were present and also to the general public which attended in unexpected and flattering numbers - was that something definitely new was emerging and that all conservation activities would sooner or later feel the impact of these discussions.
A new perspective was obtained which will perhaps greatly modify approaches in many fields. Now that the problem has been seen as a whole, pieces of this immense jigsaw puzzle will fit into place more easily, and many questions will have been brought nearer to solution. But, however alluring it may seem to reorganize conservation activities in accordance with a new dominant concept, it should not be overlooked that the existing assignment of natural resources to such government departments as Ministries of Agriculture, Ministries of Mines, and Ministries of Power and Transportation has been arrived at in the light of long experience and important considerations. The same remark applies to the present distribution of international responsibility between the United Nations and the various specialized agencies. It would therefore appear wise to retain this pattern of responsibility and to secure regular co-ordination of work and plans between all agencies concerned with conservation problems rather than to attempt at this time to concentrate all conservation problems in one agency.
Nearly forty years ago the late Gifford Pinchot, then Chief Forester of the United States, recommended to President Theodore Roosevelt that an international conference on the conservation of natural resources be organized. National and international political developments and other causes delayed the fruition of this idea, yet it was kept alive through the efforts of its originator. On 4 September 1946, only a few weeks before Mr. Pinchot's death at the advanced age of eighty-two, President Truman wrote to the United States representative on the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, requesting him to propose that the Council sponsor a scientific conference on the conservation and utilization of natural resources. In due course this proposal was considered by the Council, and on 28 March 1947 it was adopted in the following resolution:
"THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL, RECOGNIZING the importance of the world's natural resources, particularly due to the drain of the war on such resources, and their importance to the reconstruction of devastated areas, and recognizing further the need for continuous development and widespread application of the techniques for resource conservation and utilization,DECIDES to call a United Nations Scientific Conference on the Conservation and Utilization of Resources for the purpose of exchanging information on techniques in this field, their economic costs and benefits, and their interrelations; such conference to be held not earlier than 1948;
DECIDES that the Conference be devoted solely to the exchange of ideas and experience on these matters among engineers, resource technicians, economists and other experts in related fields;
REQUESTS the Secretary General
(a) to undertake the necessary preparatory work related to the scope and organization of the Conference programme and to the consideration of the place and date of the conference;(b) to consult with the representatives of the specialized agencies having important responsibilities in the fields related to the Conference programme and to consider suggestions which may be submitted to him by Members of the United Nations;
AUTHORIZES the Secretary-General, if he deems it appropriate, to convene a preparatory committee of experts who in his judgment will assist him in carrying out the work described in paragraph 3 (a);
REQUESTS the Secretary-General to keep the Council informed of his activities under this resolution."
Discussions regarding the most appropriate form and organization of the Conference commenced at Lake Success in the following September, and subsequently a temporary advisory committee was set up. This committee included representatives of FAO and other specialized agencies, together with advisers from a number of countries. Its chairman was Dr. Carter Goodrich of Columbia University.
From the beginning it was accepted that the Conference could not, for practical reasons, continue in session for more than three weeks. The program devised, therefore, would have to cover the whole field of natural resources - soils, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, wildlife, waters, forests, minerals, and fuel and energy - within that short space of time. Because it was desired to bring out the interdependence of many resources and to emphasize the advantages of unified regional planning for their development and protection, it was decided that at least one-half of the time of the Conference should be devoted to plenary meetings, leaving the remainder for the work of specialized sections dealing with individual resources.
As a first step, the United States Government was asked to submit suggestions for a program, and FAO was asked to forward its views with respect to those resources with which it is especially concerned. It proved possible for the appropriate U. S. departments and FAO to work together in Washington and to agree on a preliminary draft. This draft, modified to some extent by the advisory committee at Lake Success, was then sent to governments of all countries for their comments.
At this juncture the temporary advisory committee was replaced by a preparatory committee of experts appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Dr. Goodrich became its chairman, assisted by representatives of nine countries and of FAO, ILO, and WHO. FAO provided two members of the Committee, Mr. J. D. B. Harrison of the Forestry and Forest Products Division and Dr. Herbert Greene of the Agriculture Division.
In June 1948 the preparatory committee began reviewing the suggestions received from governments, preparing the final program and agenda for the Conference, and selecting authors of papers and chairmen of the various meetings. It was assisted by a small secretariat within the Department of Economic Affairs of the United Nations. Under the direction of Mr. A. J. Van Tassel and in co-operation with the established services of the United Nations at Lake Success, this secretariat prepared invitations, arranged for translation and reproduction of documents, secured accommodations in New York, and provided for transportation to and from the meeting place. Many expressions of appreciation of the smooth working and general efficiency of these arrangements were recorded.
Plans were made for technical discussions to be conducted in six separate sections dealing with land (including agriculture and livestock), water, forests, wildlife and fish, minerals, and fuels and energy. Several sections were to meet concurrently during the mornings, and the afternoons were to be devoted to plenary meetings. The time available for each section was limited to seven or eight mornings, and since no major question could be discussed at great length, a form of procedure had to be devised to ensure maximum progress towards the declared aim of the Conference, namely, the interchange of information and experience. With this object in view, an internationally known authority was invited to prepare a general paper on each subject selected for discussion, and selected countries known to have especially valuable experience on that subject were asked to submit brief accounts of their experience. The intention was to give delegates from other countries an opportunity to ask questions directly of those reporting practical experience. Because time was short, authors were invited to introduce their papers briefly rather than to read them in full. On the whole, this approach gave satisfactory results, although it may be said that in the forestry meetings the number of countries represented was considerably smaller than had been hoped. This may have been due in part to the unavoidable conflict between the dates of the Third World Forestry Congress at Helsinki and the United Nations Conference.
Several field excursions were arranged during the course of the Conference, and a number of forestry delegates took advantage of an opportunity to visit the Charles Lathrop Pack Forest near Warrensburg, New York. There they were able to inspect some interesting stands of white pine (Pinus strobus) and to gain firsthand information regarding the management methods applied to an American demonstration forest.
After the Conference ended, arrangements were made by the U. S. authorities for a considerable number of foreign delegates to visit steel mills at Pittsburgh and to take an extended tour through the Tennessee Valley, which, with its great power and navigation developments and the attention given to the conservation of all resources, is probably the most famous demonstration of planned and unified development of a river valley to be found anywhere in the world.
On the morning of Wednesday, 17 August, the delegates were warmly welcomed by Mr. Julius A. Krug, Secretary of the U. S. Department of the Interior, who spoke on behalf of President Truman. Mayor O'Dwyer extended a welcome on behalf of the City of New York, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Trygve Lie, formally opened the proceedings of the Conference.
On the afternoon of the same day the working plenary sessions commenced with a series of important papers, including one on the World Resources Situation by Mr. S. S. Bhatnagar, Secretary for Scientific Research to the Government of India; one on the Legacy of Resource Depletion by Mr. Fairfield Osborn, President of the Conservation Foundation of New York; and one on the Increasing Pressure on Resources by Dr. Colin G. Clark of Australia. The following morning was devoted to a world review of critical shortages, in the course of which the world food situation was discussed by Sir Herbert Broadley, Deputy Director-General of FAO, and a paper dealing with the shortages of forest products, submitted by Mr. Marcel Leloup, Director of the Forestry and Forest Products Division of FAO, was presented by Mr. R. C. Fortunescu. Dr. H. L. Keenleyside, Deputy Minister of the Department of Mines and Resources of Canada, dealt with shortages of minerals, and Mr. John C. Parker, Vice-President of the Consolidated Edison Company of New York, discussed the world situation with respect to fuels and energy.
Space does not permit a review of the whole series of plenary papers, but special mention should be made of the symposium on the last morning of the Conference. Here the highlights arising from the discussions of the various sections were incorporated with the general conclusions of the plenary meetings, symposium Mr. René Jolain, Inspector-General of the Department of Waters and Forests of France, was invited to summarize the forestry findings. He drew particular attention to the close connection between conservation of soils and waters and forests, and recommended that each country try to achieve an effective equilibrium between its forests and agricultural lands. One of the important conclusions to be reached from the Conference was that the tropical forests now constitute the world's principal reserves, and should be treated accordingly. Each country should undertake a thorough inventory of its forest resources in order to provide a basis of definite knowledge for selecting those methods and policies which will enable it to obtain the best yield from its forests and, at the same time, improve their condition. The planting of improved strains of trees should be encouraged. In tropical forests the utilization of additional species of trees should be made the object of concentrated efforts, since this would open up vast new possibilities for rational development.
In all parts of the world forestry should be developed so as to best meet the needs of the wood-using industries; and the industries, in their turn, should learn to make full use of all the products of the forest provided by the silviculturists. Achievement of these goals would entail adequate research programs, and special efforts are needed to find ways and means for reducing the very high wastage of forest output which now exists.
Mr. Jolain emphasized the need for improved protection against forest fires, and his remarks were given heightened significance by the tragic losses of life and of forests which occurred in the United States and in France during the summer of 1949. More adequate protection against injurious insects and tree diseases must also be provided.
The final plenary session, held on the afternoon of Tuesday, 6 September, heard an inspiring address on the Use of Resources for the Enrichment of Human Life by Madame Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Ambassador of India to the United States. Following her remarks, Mr. James Thorne of New Zealand, President of the Economic and Social Council, summed up the contribution of the Conference to the continuing work of the United Nations, and especially to the expanded program of Technical Assistance for Economic Development. The Conference was formally closed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The Forestry Section held seven meetings. The subjects discussed and the names of the chairmen who presided at the individual meetings are shown hereunder:
19 August - Forest InventoriesChairman: Dr. P. C. Mahalanobis (India)
Sampling Techniques
Air Surveys22 August - Protection of Forests
Chairman: Lord Robinson (United Kingdom)
Forest Fire Control
Control of Injurious Insects and Tree Diseases23 August - Forest Management
Chairman: Mr. R. Jolain (France)
Management and Working Plans and Their Adaptation to Changing Conditions
Selection of Silvicultural Techniques25 August - Protective Functions of Forests
Chairman: Mr. Reed W. Bailey (United States)
Forests and the Protection of Other Resources
Torrent and Avalanche Control26 August - Administration of Forests
Chairman: Mr. M. Phillips Price, M.P. (United Kingdom)
Essential Features of Forest Policy and Forest Law
Organization of Forest Services29 August - Logging and Sawmill Techniques
Chairman: Mr. S. B. Show (FAO)
Improvements in Logging Techniques
Log Transportation31 August - Preservation and Chemical Utilization of Wood
Chairman: Mr. J. D. Hale (Canada)
Preservation of Wood
Utilization of Wood Waste and Bark
Mr. S. B. Show of FAO presented a paper on 26 August dealing with the organization of forest services, and Mr. Harrison served as Program Officer for six of the seven meetings.
All papers presented to the Conference, together with summaries of the discussions, will eventually be printed by the United Nations. It is not possible to summarize the large number of thoughtful and informative papers which were presented on the subjects of forestry and forest products, but it may be of interest to set down some general impressions.
One notable feature was the unanimity on important questions among foresters from many different parts of the world. Physical conditions within forests, social and economic conditions, and industrial development differ immensely from country to country and from region to region, yet the ultimate objects of all foresters are similar.
In addition to their own section, foresters showed particular interest in meetings dealing with soil conservation, water, and wildlife management, and all present took full advantage of the opportunities to extend their acquaintance among authorities from other countries and specialists in other subjects. From the point of view of the forestry profession, these contacts will have the dual advantage of expanding the outlook of many foresters and securing, on the part of many non-foresters, that increased appreciation of the forester's problems and objectives which always accompanies fuller knowledge.
The members departed from the Conference with the impression that it had been thoroughly worthwhile and with high hopes that it would prove to be an important step towards better international co-operation. This attitude, which was expressed again and again, was the more noteworthy in view of the fact that, at the beginning, many were skeptical regarding the good that could result from a Conference so tremendous in scope and so unusual in organization.
