Decentralization and Democratization of Natural Resource Management
Environmental Change and Security Program
Latin American Program
"Most developing countries right now are engaged in some form of democratic decentralization," explained World Resources Institute Senior Associate and former Wilson Center Fellow Jesse Ribot. "I haven't found any that does not claim to also be decentralizing some aspect of natural resource management. These decentralization reforms aim, basically, to create a situation that is more equitable, more efficient, [and] more effective at implementing projects on the ground." Ribot was joined by several other experts on natural resource management and governance at "Decentralization and Democratization of Natural Resource Management," an April 28, 2008, event examining the results of several studies in WRI's Representation, Equity, and Environment working paper series, which sought to determine how developing countries' efforts to decentralize and democratize natural resource management (NRM) have affected local-level NRM and democracy.
Event speakers: Andrew Selee, Jesse C Ribot, Ashwini Chhatre, Solange Bandiaky, Uma Lele