Search Results

Natural Resource Management and Human Security in Africa

Abiodun Alao

in Protecting Human Security in Africa

This chapter ties together the multi-dimensional links between natural resources management and human security in Africa. The central argument is that for human security to be well established in the ... More

This chapter ties together the multi-dimensional links between natural resources management and human security in Africa. The central argument is that for human security to be well established in the continent, crucial issues linked to the ownership, management, and control of the continent's natural resource endowment have to be taken into consideration and the various conflicts they have caused have to be addressed. It also argues that the success of the various international efforts to address the effective management of Africa's natural resources will only be successful if the structures for managing these resources at the local and national levels are reorganized and made to appreciate the multiplicity of factors underlining various layers of governance in each of the countries. The chapter is organized into six sections. Section 1 looks at the structure currently in place to manage natural resources on the continent and the extent to which this addresses the needs of the population. Section 2 discusses human security issues that have emerged as a result of the existing governance structures, while Section 3 focuses on the human security implications of the conflicts that are rooted in natural resource governance. Section 4 discusses the international initiatives to address human security concerns related to natural resource governance and the extent of their attendant success. Section 5 interrogates the initiatives being undertaken by African organizations to ensure that the continent's natural resource endowments become blessings rather than a curse, while Section 6 concludes the discussions.Less

Decentralization, Devolution, and Collective Action—A Review of International Experience 1

Priya Shyamsundar

in Promise, Trust and Evolution: Managing the Commons of South Asia

This chapter reviews international evidence on community-based natural resource management in three sectors: forestry, irrigation, and wildlife management. It asks how and in what way decentralized ... More

This chapter reviews international evidence on community-based natural resource management in three sectors: forestry, irrigation, and wildlife management. It asks how and in what way decentralized natural resource management has contributed to improved livelihoods and better resource management. It identifies key challenges faced as governments promote resource management through local communities and user groups.Less

Rural Population Growth, Agricultural Change, and Natural Resource Management in Developing Countries: A Review of Hypotheses and Some Evidence from Honduras

John Pender

in Population Matters: Demographic Change, Economic Growth, and Poverty in the Developing World

This chapter analyses key hypotheses on the impacts of rural population growth on agriculture, natural resource management, and related impacts on poverty in development countries. It is argued that ... More

This chapter analyses key hypotheses on the impacts of rural population growth on agriculture, natural resource management, and related impacts on poverty in development countries. It is argued that the impacts of population growth likely to be negative when there is no collective response than when population growth induces infrastructure development, collective action, institutional or organisational development. The results of recent studies by the International Food Policy Research Institute in Honduras are discussed.Less

Between Nationalization and Privatization: Common Property as the Third Way?

Peter Ho

in Institutions in Transition: Land Ownership, Property Rights and Social Conflict in China

The current trend of property rights reform in China is towards nationalization or privatization through the lease system. Exactly for this reason, experimentation with alternative tenure ... More

The current trend of property rights reform in China is towards nationalization or privatization through the lease system. Exactly for this reason, experimentation with alternative tenure arrangements is essential. Such experimentation is particularly important when considering the high costs of supervising vast, nationalized nature reserves. Drawing on detailed case studies, Discusses the possibilities and limitations of community-based or common property arrangements for natural resource management with particular reference to grassland. It is shown that common property regimes are not a panacea for natural resource management. At times, regional conflicts over natural resources exceed the power of the village community to manage the resource in a sustainable manner. This becomes painfully clear through the eruption of fierce battles over medicinal herbs.Less

Causes and Consequences of Stakeholder Participation in Natural Resource Management: Evidence from 143 Biosphere Reserves in Fifty-Five Countries

Andreas Duit and Ola Hall

in State and Environment: The Comparative Study of Environmental Governance

This chapter examines the causes and consequences of stakeholder participation in natural resource management by presenting evidence from 143 biosphere reserves (BR) in fifty-five countries. In ... More

This chapter examines the causes and consequences of stakeholder participation in natural resource management by presenting evidence from 143 biosphere reserves (BR) in fifty-five countries. In particular, it considers whether stakeholder participation in natural resource management programs leads to better management of ecosystems, and how the quality of democratic institutions and levels of corruption affects stakeholders' likelihood of participating in natural resource programs. After an overview of the possible reasons why stakeholders participate in the management of natural resources, the discussion shifts to political rights, with emphasis on the right to form associations and organizations. The chapter then explains the data and methods used in the survey of 143 BRs and analyzes patterns of stakeholder involvement in BR activities to the BR's management performance. The results show that institutional guarantees for political rights are about as important as a BR policy prioritizing combined social, economic, and ecological development in persuading non-governmental organizations and locals to get involved in BR implementation activities.Less

The Tragedy of the Commons

Jean‐Marie Baland and Jean‐Philippe Platteau

in Halting Degradation of Natural Resources: Is There a Role for Rural Communities?

This chapter analyses the ‘tragedy of the commons’, which attributes the inefficiency in managing natural resources to the absence of well-defined property rights and the regime of open access that ... More

This chapter analyses the ‘tragedy of the commons’, which attributes the inefficiency in managing natural resources to the absence of well-defined property rights and the regime of open access that characterizes them. It discusses the problem of open access and problem of common property, the Pareto-inefficiency of the Nash equilibrium under common property, and the Lindahl equilibrium.Less

Introduction

Dalia M. Gouda

in Social Capital and Local Water Management in Egypt

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the book's main themes. This book aims to understand the role played by social capital in irrigation water management generally, and in the recent ... More

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the book's main themes. This book aims to understand the role played by social capital in irrigation water management generally, and in the recent creation and operation of water users' organizations (WUOs) in Egypt in particular. It examines networks of social relationships and norms and their impact on the exercise of social control and collective irrigation water management practices in Egyptian villages. It focuses on four villages in the Kafr al-Sheikh (KSH) and Fayoum governorates in Egypt, looking at informal water user groups and formal WUOs over two time periods—the 1950s and 1960s, and the 1970s onward—to understand how they function and change over time. The book draws on two main concepts, social capital and community-based natural resource management, which are discussed in the remainder of the chapter.Less

Introduction

Jean‐Marie Baland and Jean‐Philippe Platteau

in Halting Degradation of Natural Resources: Is There a Role for Rural Communities?

This introductory chapter begins with a discussion on the issue of managing local or village-level natural resources. It highlights the difference between regulated common property and private ... More

This introductory chapter begins with a discussion on the issue of managing local or village-level natural resources. It highlights the difference between regulated common property and private property. The studies featured this volume and their main arguments are then presented.Less

Introduction

Jérémie Gilbert

in Natural Resources and Human Rights: An Appraisal

The chapter explains the relationship between the issue of natural resources management and international human rights law (IHRL), and places it into context with regards to the book. It examines how ... More

The chapter explains the relationship between the issue of natural resources management and international human rights law (IHRL), and places it into context with regards to the book. It examines how the management of natural resources is linked to broad issues of economic development, peace, and security, as well as the political, economic, social, and cultural rights of individuals and communities. The introduction also establishes the analytical framework of the book by adopting a rights-based approach to natural resources management and its regulation, and how these activities related to the structural allocation of wealth and power. Overall, it looks at the interaction between IHRL and natural resources based on six main concerns: sovereignty, property, governance, access to sources of livelihood/food production, cultural and natural heritage, and conservation.Less

Food-web theory in marine ecosystems

Jason S. Link, William T. Stockhausen, William T. Stockhausen, and Elizabeth T. Methratta

in Aquatic Food Webs: An ecosystem approach

This chapter examines recent case studies of marine food webs to evaluate the applicability of food web theories for the marine environment. Classical macrodescriptors and recent network metrics are ... More

This chapter examines recent case studies of marine food webs to evaluate the applicability of food web theories for the marine environment. Classical macrodescriptors and recent network metrics are evaluated for each marine food web example. Food webs are defined as those which are non-estuarine, non-coastal, and larger in scale than food webs typically and classically studied (i.e., not a bay, not a river-ocean mixing zone, not a rocky inter-tidal zone, etc.). There are clear distinctions for marine food webs when compared to all terrestrial and other aquatic food webs, yet there are also clear distinctions among different types of marine food webs. The chapter notes that there are three categories of food web theories: (i) those factors and models which apply categorically to all food webs; (ii) those factors and models which can be split into simple, lowly connected, strongly interacting, clearly defined localized food webs versus complex, highly connected, weakly interacting, broader, more extensive food webs; and (iii) those factors and models which are uniquely and distinctly marine. Understanding the qualitative properties of food webs can provide further evaluation of which theories are appropriate, which are not, when each is true, and why. Finally, the chapter discusses the applications and implications of these theories for ecosystem-based natural resource management.Less

Case Study. Property Rights: Access to Land and Forest Resources in Uganda

W. S. Gombya-Ssembajjwe, A. Y. Banana, and J. Bahati

in Access to Land, Rural Poverty, and Public Action

Since property rights entail certain rules that every person has to comply with especially in terms of interactions with other people, property rights also have an effect on incentives and on the ... More

Since property rights entail certain rules that every person has to comply with especially in terms of interactions with other people, property rights also have an effect on incentives and on the behavior of individuals. As such, tenure — an individual's bundle of rights imposed over a particular resource — includes the terms and conditions which cover issues such as how these resources are accessed, owned, managed, and even transferred. While these rights have significant effects on incentives for the use of resources, tenure should also be considered in strategy planning for the management of natural resources. In Uganda, such matters are governed by a wide variety of social systems and laws that is made evident throughout history. This chapter examines Uganda's three fundamental land tenure forms and their respective roles in land access — customary tenure, mailo-land tenure, and leasehold and freehold tenure.Less

Beyond “Stakeholders”and The Zero-Sum Game: Toward community-based collaborative conservation in the american West

Nathan F. Sayre and David Seibert

in Stitching the West Back Together: Conservation of Working Landscapes

A growing trend in attempts to manage land for multiple interests is the formation of community-based collaborative conservation groups (CBCCs). Often created and led by rural ranchers, forest owners ... More

A growing trend in attempts to manage land for multiple interests is the formation of community-based collaborative conservation groups (CBCCs). Often created and led by rural ranchers, forest owners and other producers, they include alliances with scientists, conservationists, and agency resource managers all seeking common ground and pragmatic solutions to resource management issues. CBCCs are generally place-based, identifying site-specific goals and management practices for landscapes that cross jurisdictional and other boundaries. They recognize the knowledge and long-term commitments of local residents. Examples come from the Altar Valley Conservation Alliance in southern Arizona, the Diablo Trust in northern Arizona, the Malpai Borderlands Group in southern Arizona/New Mexico, and the Laramie Foothills Group in Colorado. Collectively, their greatest accomplishments may be the formation of partnerships based on trust in the face of legitimate differences and presenting a unified voice in natural resource management and decision-making.Less

Conclusion: An Emerging Ecostate?

Andreas Duit

in State and Environment: The Comparative Study of Environmental Governance

This book has conducted comparative studies to determine how the state influences, and is influenced by, accelerating processes of environmental degradation. A clear message from these studies is ... More

This book has conducted comparative studies to determine how the state influences, and is influenced by, accelerating processes of environmental degradation. A clear message from these studies is that the state has been, and continues to be, an influential actor in, and arena for, environmental governance. In order to place these findings about the role of the state in environmental governance within a larger conceptual framework, this concluding chapter considers the notion of an emerging environmental state, or ecostate. This ecostate can be classified into a threefold typology consisting of strong ecostates, partial ecostates, and weak ecostates. The chapter discusses some key differences between the welfare state and the ecostate in terms of local natural resource management as well as policymaking and citizenship. Finally, it explains how these dissimilarities point to new research issues in comparative environmental politics and policy.Less

The “Greening” of Oklahoma: State Power and Cherokee Resurgence after the Dust Bowl

Clint Carroll

in Roots of Our Renewal: Ethnobotany and Cherokee Environmental Governance

In chapter 3, “The ‘Greening’ of Oklahoma,” I discuss how more recent politics have shaped the Cherokee Nation environment, including fire suppression policies in the 1930s and the development of ... More

In chapter 3, “The ‘Greening’ of Oklahoma,” I discuss how more recent politics have shaped the Cherokee Nation environment, including fire suppression policies in the 1930s and the development of Oklahoma state tourism. I look in depth at the legacy of the federal allotment policy in relation to the ability of Cherokees to access resources. In this context, I also describe the resurgence of the Cherokee Nation as a political entity and its subsequent development of sophisticated environmental departments.Less

Sustainable Harvesting: A Local View

Stephen F. Siebert

in The Nature and Culture of Rattan: Reflections on Vanishing Life in the Forests of Southeast Asia

This chapter discusses the issue of sustainable rattan harvesting from a local perspective. Defining and implementing sustainable use of tropical forests and its products have been the subject of ... More

This chapter discusses the issue of sustainable rattan harvesting from a local perspective. Defining and implementing sustainable use of tropical forests and its products have been the subject of considerable debate for decades. Academics and conservationists have argued over the meaning, potential paths, obstacles to, and the viability of sustainable resource use. Drawing on conversations with a number of rattan gatherers, this chapter asks whether rattan harvesting can be sustained and what ecological effects are associated with cane harvesting. It also examines what institutional arrangements and governing capabilities are required at national and local levels to manage harvesting; the role of market demand, financial returns, government policies, and resource tenure in sustainable harvesting of rattan and other nontimber forest products (NTFPs); and how community forestry, and community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) more generally, can help promote the sustainable management of natural resources.Less

The Policy Context for Conservation in Costa Rica: Model or Muddle?

Katrina Brandon

in Biodiversity Conservation in Costa Rica: Learning the Lessons in a Seasonal Dry Forest

Costa Rica has been considered a leader in a wide array of policies and actions that supported natural resource management, conservation, and biodiversity. In this chapter, the policy context for ... More

Costa Rica has been considered a leader in a wide array of policies and actions that supported natural resource management, conservation, and biodiversity. In this chapter, the policy context for conserving biodiversity in Costa Rica is discussed. It identifies the relevant contextual factors of scale, history, social forces, and other policies that have affected Costa Rican conservation. It also examines how conservation in Costa Rica is linked to larger debates concerning biodiversity conservation worldwide.Less

Reasoned Understandings and Social Change in Research on Common Resources: Introducing a Framework to Keep Tensions Active, Productive, and Ever-present

in Unruly Complexity: Ecology, Interpretation, Engagement

Garrett Hardin's idea of the “tragedy of the commons” is widely invoked in the discussions of conservation and natural resource management. Many teachers of environmental studies use classroom ... More

Garrett Hardin's idea of the “tragedy of the commons” is widely invoked in the discussions of conservation and natural resource management. Many teachers of environmental studies use classroom simulations to introduce students to the “tragedy of the commons” and its implications. This chapter describes an activity in which students are asked to take the role of herders who are all given the same initial amount of cattle and cash. Each year they have an opportunity to buy cows and receive income from the sale of milk and excess calves. Everyone's purchases are summed up and a formula is used in the chapter to calculate a figure for the income per cow during the year from milk and calves. In this formula, the income declines once the combined herd on the common pasture exceeds some threshold, and the pasture becomes overgrazed.Less

A Role for Citizen Science in Disaster and Conflict Recovery and Resilience

Keith G. Tidball and Marianne E. Krasny

in Citizen Science: Public Participation in Environmental Research

This chapter examines how citizen science can contribute to community resilience in situations of human vulnerability within the context of civic ecology. Drawing from the disaster, conflict, natural ... More

This chapter examines how citizen science can contribute to community resilience in situations of human vulnerability within the context of civic ecology. Drawing from the disaster, conflict, natural resource management, and resilience literatures, and from examples of participatory data collection linked with environmental restoration in postcrisis settings, the chapter considers how we might integrate concepts from citizen science with scholarship and practice aimed at fostering community capacity to buffer the impacts of disasters and conflicts. It argues that citizen science can play an important role in conflict management and disaster recovery, in part by accumulating multiple forms of knowledge and data collection over broad geographic areas.Less