Decentralization - Decentralisation of Environmental Management

Decentralisation of Environmental Management

Decentralisation has also moved into the environmental management sphere. Since neo-liberalism in the 1970/1980s and the emergence of the climate change crises, there has been abrupt evidence that the State is failing to effectively manage our environmental resources. Hardin’s Tragedy of the commons (1986) shows people cannot be left to do as they wish with land. Decentralisation offers an alternative solution as theory states, it: “aims to increase popular participation to promote more equitable and efficient forms of local management and development... key to effective decentralisation is increase broad-based participation in local public decision making. Theorists believe that downwardly accountable or representative authorities with meaningful discretionary powers are the basic institutional elements of decentralisation that should lead to local efficiency, equity and development.” Ribot, 2003; 53 Therefore, with the right opportunities to share knowledge and gain the appropriate powers local communities have a greater chance of success than the State. This leads from the assumption that people are excluded (Ribot, 2007) by the state in decision-making, causing them to appear to not care, when in fact they do but can do little about it. Hence, environmental governance should be at the lowest possible level. One, in many cases the environmental is central to local communities, especially in developing nations. Secondly, it creates a sense of citizenship and democracy (Ribot, 2002). Depending on the type of decentralisation used (see above and Oyono, 2004; 92), in many circumstance local people are represented by others; these could be elected or local authorities chosen by the government. Either way, they must be accountable and have the power to do what they promise; if not people will not support them. Yet, this can also be affected by the decentralisation of fiscal power which can create limitations as many environmental management strategies require some degree of fiscal input. Within environmental management the most effective form of decentralisation is devolution. As state releases all control to the lowest possible level ( Larson, 2003). However, there are still factors that can limit its success: Political infrastructure, history, territory, culture and society. In any given community there will be multiple environmental issues that need to be managed alongside diversity in opinion and people. Subsequently, decentralisation is more effective in communities where achieving consensus is relatively straightforward. As processes will move smoother with fewer objections. This was put to practice in the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP)http://www.akdn.org/AKF in the Gujarat province of India. Shah, 1994 found that non-governmental organisations, within decentralisation acted as a catalyst to aid villagers in a community water management programme which was deemed a success as there was no State involvement. Thus, decentralisation opens up opportunities for local people to make a difference by coming together and giving them the resources to effect the local governments ( Larson, 2002). Unfortunately, this is not always the case in reality.

The theory of environmental governance by decentralisation relies on assumptions and in practice, these may not deem true. Until discourse advocates decentralisation as a priority in policy, the “potential benefits of decentralisation (will) remain unrealized” ( Ribbot, 2002; 2).