Book Discusses Importance of Resource "Comanagement" to Environmental Protection, Poverty Reduction

Maps, not guns, resolve resource conflicts in Cambodia. Photo: Ashish John (Ratanakiri project)

Poverty and sustainable development must be addressed jointly to ensure both long-term environmental protection and poverty reduction, according to Stephen R. Tyler, author of the new book Comanagement of Natural Resources: Local Learning for Poverty Reduction. Speaking at the World Bank on December 4, Tyler discussed the obstacles associated with poor management of “common pool,” or shared, resources such as water, land, and ecosystems. He emphasized that “clearly defined boundaries of the common pool resource, an understanding of shared benefits, and recognition of collective rights” must be in place before sustainable “comanagement” of resources can be achieved. Comanagement is defined as a collaborative arrangement in which a community of local resource users, local and senior governments, and other stakeholders share responsibility and authority for managing a specified natural resource or resources.

Tyler’s book, a publication of the Ottawa-based International Development Research Centre (IDRC), uses six case studies from Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East to illustrate the challenges and benefits of implementing resource comanagement. Villagers in Ratanakiri, Cambodia, for example, worked with IDRC researchers to produce a series of unique maps and resource use plans that successfully convinced the government to better protect traditional resource use and land tenure. Participatory research in the Ecuadorian Andes revealed how resource management was at the root of major water shortages experienced by numerous local communities. And the use of surveys based on geographic information systems (GIS) and other technologies enabled IDRC researchers and small farmers in Lebanon to resolve long-standing conflicts among land users. Other case studies illustrate the critical links between participatory research and the alleviation of poverty and conflict.

Tyler, president of the consulting and research firm Adaptive Resource Management Ltd., asserts that successful comanagement of resources can produce valuable results for all stakeholders. These include: more-secure access to resources that poor people rely on for basic needs (such as food, fiber, fuel, and medicine); the creation of formal institutions for resource governance; increased information sharing among all stakeholders (especially the poor, who are most often excluded from participatory planning); and the introduction of new technologies that improve the productivity of resource use.

While outlining the basic tenets of participatory planning in resource management, Tyler breaks new ground with real-life examples from the field that offer both success stories and lessons learned. Among the lessons, Tyler stresses the importance of “putting people at the center” of any participatory action research. Also, by crafting policies that leave openings for future policy changes, “communities and resource management teams can link local efforts to regional and national networks” while also fostering local innovation to tackle issues of poverty, health, and environmental protection, he notes.

Lindsay Hower Jordan works in the development department at Rare, an international environmental group that works globally to equip people in the world’s most threatened natural areas with the tools and motivations they need to care for their natural resources.

This story was produced by Eye on Earth, a joint project of the Worldwatch Institute and the blue moon fund. View the complete archive of Eye on Earth stories, or contact Staff Writer Alana Herro at aherro [AT] worldwatch [DOT] org with your questions, comments, and story ideas.