Ecosystems & Governance

Local control over natural resources, combined with democratic and transparent governance, are sound strategies for protecting the environment and promoting development for those who need it most.

In almost every case, maximizing environmental income for the poor requires changes in the governance of natural resources. The need for such changes is pressing because the poor are at a great disadvantage when it comes to controlling natural resources or the decisions surrounding them. They often suffer from a lack of legal ownership or tenure over land and resources, which restricts their access and makes their homes and livelihoods insecure. They also suffer from a lack of voice in decision-making processes, cutting them out of the decision-making loop. Corruption involving natural resources falls harder on the poor as well, who may be the victims of bribe-demanding bureaucrats or illegal logging and fishing facilitated by corrupt officials who look the other way.

When important decisions about local resources are made, the poor are rarely heard or have their interests represented. Often, these decisions, such as the awarding of a timber concession on state forest land that may be occupied by the rural poor, are made in the state capital or in venues far removed from rural life. Even if they could make it to these decision-making venues, the poor, and other rural residents as well, would still be unlikely to find a seat at the table. The rights of local resource users to participate in resource decisions is still a relatively new concept in most areas and often not embodied in law. Language barriers, ignorance of their legal rights, and a lack of full information about how resource decisions are likely to affect them are also potent obstacles to the participation of the poor. Lack of money, of political connections, and of lawyers or other advocates that can articulate their needs are all sources of political isolation and marginalization.

These governance burdens make it hard for poor families to plan effectively, to make investments that might allow them to profit from their assets or skills, or to work together effectively to manage common areas or create markets for their products. In other words, governance burdens quickly translate to economic obstacles, furthering a cycle of environmental degradation and poverty.