The Argument for Decentralization

The process of decentralizing power over natural resource management holds great potential for increasing the say of the poor in the decisions that affect their livelihoods. Decentralization occurs when a national government cedes responsibility and authority over some aspect of its role to state, municipal, or local institutions. Sparked by the inability of many federal governments to adequately deliver public services in the 1980's, decentralization is now widely supported by donor agencies, international organizations, and countries around the world as a means of strengthening democracy and improving service delivery.

The potential of decentralization to be efficient and equitable depends on the creation of democratic local institutions with significant discretionary powers. But there are few cases where democratic institutions are being chosen and truly empowered. In many cases, decentralization is too new a phenomenon to fully assess the impacts on poverty reduction or environmental management. And there are mature cases of decentralization that for a number of reasons have failed to improve the distribution of environmental income or achieve conservation goals.

Before decentralization efforts can be judged, time is needed for them to be legislated, implemented, and fully take effect. First, locally accountable representation with discretionary power must be established. Then, accompanying measures must be identified to assure environmental protection, justice, and conflict resolution. To encourage the decentralization experiment and test the conditions under which it yields the benefits that theorists and advocates promise, decentralization must fully tested, monitored, and evaluated over time.