Publisher's Synopsis
The report Environment, Livelihoods, and Local Institutions: Decentralization in Mainland Southeast Asia analyses how decentralisation reforms are changing local institutions for natural resource management in the region. The focus is on mountainous areas where impoverished populations struggle to preserve meagre resources, remaining biodiversity, and food security. The authors assess whether institutional and policy changes have provided the incentives for local authorities and communities to manage natural resources sustainably. They analyse how local people's representation in decision-making, their access to conflict resolution mechanisms, and the relation between different local institutions affect natural resource management. Through comparison between case studies, the authors also look at different assets, such as the social capital within communities, that can affect the success or failure of decentralisation and related reforms.
