25
programs may be as complex and challenging as describing the change process
in future transformational leaders. Leadership development programs that aim
to build this transformational leadership capacity are rare in an Asian context.
This chapter then argues that building leadership capacity within higher
academia is a way educators can work to affect desirable behavioral change
and advance sustainable environmental management practices. The following
sections ( 2.2 – 2.4 ) will introduce other author’s concepts of environmental
leaders from their experience applied to APIEL as educators in higher academia.
As such, collective leadership, institutional leadership and strong leadership
under disaster management are introduced.
2.2 Exercising Collective Leadership to Find Solutions
for Global Environmental Issues
2
This section outlines the author’s experience of conducting research in the Heihe
River basin in northwestern China. From this and other experiences, it is apparent
that the complexity of environmental problems requires collective leadership that
includes cultural and social perspectives. One possible defi nition for collective leadership, following Akiyama et al. [ 16 ], is also included.
2.2.1 Introduction
It is widely acknowledged that environmental problems are the problems of complexity.
One of the dimensions of complexity arises from confl icts of the vested interests of the
various stakeholders. However, how do you balance the interests of stakeholders with
sustainable development that includes environmental concerns? Following the author’s
own experiences in the Heihe River basin in northwestern China, he feels that collective
leadership might be a key in reaching a consensus among stakeholders that ultimately
leads to the shared visions/goals for solving global environmental problems. The author
will outline some of his experiences through participating in an interdisciplinary research
project called Historical Evolution of the Adaptability in an Oasis Region to Water
Resource Changes, carried out from academic year 2001 to 2006.
3
This section is based on the integral framework for environmental leadership
education proposed in Akiyama et al. [ 16 ]. Figure 2.2 shows the framework that was
2 This section is based on the personal experiences of one of the authors, Tomohiro Akiyama from
Graduate Program in Sustainability Science, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University
of Tokyo, Japan.
3 Further information about the project can be found at their website (http://www.chikyu.ac.jp/
rihn_e/project/H-01.html).
2 The Concept of Environmental Leader
programs may be as complex and challenging as describing the change process
in future transformational leaders. Leadership development programs that aim
to build this transformational leadership capacity are rare in an Asian context.
This chapter then argues that building leadership capacity within higher
academia is a way educators can work to affect desirable behavioral change
and advance sustainable environmental management practices. The following
sections ( 2.2 – 2.4 ) will introduce other author’s concepts of environmental
leaders from their experience applied to APIEL as educators in higher academia.
As such, collective leadership, institutional leadership and strong leadership
under disaster management are introduced.
2.2 Exercising Collective Leadership to Find Solutions
for Global Environmental Issues
2
This section outlines the author’s experience of conducting research in the Heihe
River basin in northwestern China. From this and other experiences, it is apparent
that the complexity of environmental problems requires collective leadership that
includes cultural and social perspectives. One possible defi nition for collective leadership, following Akiyama et al. [ 16 ], is also included.
2.2.1 Introduction
It is widely acknowledged that environmental problems are the problems of complexity.
One of the dimensions of complexity arises from confl icts of the vested interests of the
various stakeholders. However, how do you balance the interests of stakeholders with
sustainable development that includes environmental concerns? Following the author’s
own experiences in the Heihe River basin in northwestern China, he feels that collective
leadership might be a key in reaching a consensus among stakeholders that ultimately
leads to the shared visions/goals for solving global environmental problems. The author
will outline some of his experiences through participating in an interdisciplinary research
project called Historical Evolution of the Adaptability in an Oasis Region to Water
Resource Changes, carried out from academic year 2001 to 2006.
3
This section is based on the integral framework for environmental leadership
education proposed in Akiyama et al. [ 16 ]. Figure 2.2 shows the framework that was
2 This section is based on the personal experiences of one of the authors, Tomohiro Akiyama from
Graduate Program in Sustainability Science, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University
of Tokyo, Japan.
3 Further information about the project can be found at their website (http://www.chikyu.ac.jp/
rihn_e/project/H-01.html).
2 The Concept of Environmental Leader