Devolution in natural resource management: institutional arrangements and power shifts: a synthesis of case studies from southern Africa
Devolution in natural resource management: institutional arrangements and power shifts: a synthesis of case studies from southern Africa

Author: Sheona Shackleton

Publisher: CIFOR

Published: 2001-08-09

Total Pages: 80

ISBN-13:

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The study provides a comparative analysis of the devolution and empowerment process in 14 case studies drawn from eight countries in southern Africa. Each case study examined the extent to which policy and legislation devolves significant control over decision making and benefit flows to communities; the legitimacy and power of different community institutions and their relationship with other stakeholders such as local authority structures, NGOs, donor agencies, and the private sector; and lastly the relationship and divisions between different actors and groupings in the community. The impacts of devolution were found to differ considerably among case studies both within and between countries,of the countries from which they derive. The study revealed that while some empowerment schemes appear to be marked success others appear doomed to failure, or if one is more optimistic, have resulted in the development of capacity within certain organisations but are unlikely to result in sustainable systems of natural resource management.In the countries studied, there have been progress towards CBNRM and a more away from the previous, largely unsuccessful, centralised command and control approaches to natural resources management.In some cases the move to community -based management has been more successful in empowering local communities than in others. In most instances there is little evidence, with the possible exception of specific case studies in Nambia and Malawi, to demonstrate that devolved authority has resulted in more sustainable natural resource management. The assumption is that if true community control is in place then sustainable NRM still require attention and further research effort. The study also revealed a range of factors and conditions that may help contribute to the success of CBNRM initiatives and the empowerment of local communities. The chances of CBNRM succeeding appear greater in situations where high value resources are involved, which have the potential to provide communities with an income stream which give incentive to participate and comply with rule and regulation..

Community Rights, Conservation and Contested Land
Community Rights, Conservation and Contested Land

Author: Fred Nelson

Publisher: Earthscan

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 342

ISBN-13: 1849775052

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Natural resource governance is central to the outcomes of biodiversity conservation efforts and to patterns of economic development, particularly in resource-dependent rural communities. The institutional arrangements that define natural resource governance are outcomes of political processes, whereby numerous groups with often-divergent interests negotiate for access to and control over resources. These political processes determine the outcomes of resource governance reform efforts, such as widespread attempts to decentralize or devolve greater tenure over land and resources to local communities. This volume examines the political dynamics of natural resource governance processes through a range of comparative case studies across east and southern Africa. These cases include both local and national settings, and examine issues such as land rights, tourism development, wildlife conservation, participatory forest management, and the impacts of climate change, and are drawn from both academics and field practitioners working across the region. Published with IUCN, The Bradley Fund for the Environment, SASUSG and Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Sustainable Tourism Policy and Planning in Africa
Sustainable Tourism Policy and Planning in Africa

Author: Emmanuel Akwasi Adu-Ampong

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-12-17

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1000259277

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Sustainable Tourism Policy and Planning in Africa offers an accessible and understandable overview of the challenges of integrating sustainability into tourism policy and planning in Sub-Saharan Africa and provides some interesting recommendations on how these could be overcome. Tourism is currently growing faster in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and in many other developing regions compared to the rest of the world. Using case examples from different segments of the tourism sector in different country contexts, this volume therefore reassesses context specific tourism policies and planning mechanisms in SSA over the years. It considers how the increasing focus on sustainability is reflected in different areas of the tourism sector including food security, the human capacity management, service delivery, local communities and heritage management, climate change and the influence of colonial legacies on tourism policy planning. For many SSA countries, it has only been in the last two decades that the development of sustainable and achievable context specific policies and planning mechanisms has become the norm. The chapters provide examples of how different dimensions of sustainability are integrated into tourism policy and practice, and examine the extent to which these are shaping the present, and their implications for the future sustainability of the tourism sector. Sustainable Tourism Policy and Planning in Africa will be of great value to academics, private and third sector employees to better understand tourism in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eight of the chapters were originally published as a special issue of Tourism Planning and Development. These are now complimented with a new introductory chapter and a concluding chapter that sets out a future research agenda for sustainable tourism policy and planning.

Inclusive Green Growth
Inclusive Green Growth

Author: Calvin Atewamba

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2020-05-28

Total Pages: 328

ISBN-13: 3030441806

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Fostering inclusive green growth in Africa means addressing existing and emerging development challenges, while efficiently managing Africa’s natural capital and building resilience to environmental, social and economic risks. Although this new paradigm for development has the potential to create tremendous business opportunities, there are also challenges. This book provides empirical evidence on the conditions for the emergence of green businesses in Africa. It includes 13 case studies, which identify the determinants of small and medium-size enterprises’ engagement in inclusive and sustainable growth in rural Africa, and the factors that hinder eco-innovation in business and entrepreneurial activities. Furthermore it discusses appropriate regulations and policies to stimulate the development of green business in Africa. Offering insights into the relationship between eco-innovation, labor productivity and business competitiveness in rural Africa, this book appeals to scholars, policy makers and practitioners interested in a green economy for Africa.

Promise, Trust and Evolution
Promise, Trust and Evolution

Author: Rucha Ghate

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2008-01-10

Total Pages: 416

ISBN-13: 0191526746

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From land management to water rights, this volume looks at the current status of Common Property Resources, or CPRs, in South Asia. Developed countries, have managed to establish well-defined property rights over numerous resources and in some instances extended non-exclusionary rights over privately owned resources over an extended period of time. In the developing world, however, the share of community property is extensive, either as a response to an expanding market or because the exposure to markets in still in its nascent stage. This coupled with the demands of globalization, has led to the co-existence of both community ownership of resources as well as an evolving private property rights market. This tension between public versus private ownership rights is particularly relevant in the developing countries of South Asia, not only because of its shared history but also because of its resources frequently cross national boundaries. This book tells the story of CPRs and the commons in a rapidly changing South Asia. Including contributions from those working with natural resources in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, the papers discuss issues such as equity in distribution; efficiency and productivity of resources; sustainability of resources; and institutional transition and governance.

The Global Politics of Local Conservation
The Global Politics of Local Conservation

Author: Andrew Heffernan

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2023-05-31

Total Pages: 262

ISBN-13: 3031241770

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This book examines the politics of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) in Namibia. CBNRM and similar forms of conservation across southern Africa have long been studied for their potential benefits as domestic policy tools to help improve sustainable development. However, they have often failed to achieve their stated goals. By assessing the initiation, design, implementation and outcomes of CBNRM, the book argues that communities are often unable to attain the degree of empowerment that these forms of resource governance promise. It also considers the impact of climate change on CBNRM programmes, and the responses of international actors involved in their governance. In doing so, the book demonstrates how the power imbalances that are built into the global political economy have ensured that those most marginalized in society are no better off as a result of this new form of resource governance. It will appeal to all those interested in CBNRM, conservation studies and environmental governance in Africa, as well political economy and international relations.

The Complex Forest
The Complex Forest

Author: Carol J.P. Colfer

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2010-09-30

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 1136523111

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The Complex Forest systematically examines the theory, processes, and early outcomes of a research and management approach called adaptive collaborative management (ACM). An alternative to positivist approaches to development and conservation that assume predictability in forest management, ACM acknowledges the complexity and unpredictability inherent in any forest community and the importance of developing solutions together with the forest peoples whose lives will be most affected by the outcomes. Building on earlier work that established the importance of flexible, collaborative approaches to sustainable forest management, The Complex Forest describes the work of ACM practitioners facing a broad range of challenges in diverse settings and attempts to identify the conditions under which ACM is most effective. Case studies of ACM in 33 forest sites in 11 countries together with Colfer's systematic comparison of results at each site indicate that human and institutional capabilities have been strengthened. In Zimbabwe, for example, the number of women involved in decisionmaking soared. In Nepal, community members detected and sanctioned dishonest community elites. In Cameroon and Bolivia, learning programs resulted in better conflict management. These are early results, but a wide range of recent research supports Colfer's belief that these new capabilities will eventually contribute to higher incomes and to sustainable improvements in the health of forests and forest peoples. The Complex Forest reinforces calls for change in the way we plan conservation and development programs, away from command-and-control approaches, toward ones that require bureaucratic flexibility and responsiveness, as well as greater local participation in setting priorities and problem solving.