Decentralization, governance, and management of renewable natural resources : local options in the Republic of Mali : volume III -- final report

The surveys included case studies of a fishery; a large-scale pasture; two woodstocks, including one state forest; a small and a large-scale watershed; and a large-scale state-organized irrigation system. Several of these resources local people governed and managed themselves; others were co-managed by local people and outsiders, e.g., foresters, parastatal extension agents, and NGO personnel. The case studies show how local people manage or co-manage RNR to protect themselves and increase their productivity; demonstrate that rural producers mobilize large amounts of labor, material, and cash to sustain the RNR upon which they depend for survival; and show how outside institutions and actors such as state agencies, donors, and NGOs can, at minimal cost, support local RNR management efforts by transferring technical information, modifying rules where appropriate, and providing back-up enforcement and financing. (Author abstract, modified)