Community-Based Natural Resource Management Network (CBNRM Net): Resources, Regions, Latin America, Latin America and Caribbean, Overview

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Latin America and Caribbean, Overview

Introduction

This Item contains a broad overview of CBNRM for Latin America and the Caribbean. The overview is based on the findings and recommendations of a Regional Working Group at the International CBNRM Workshop (Washington DC, USA, May 1998), consisting of workshop participants largely from that region.

Principal resource types

The Regional Working Group was asked to identify the principal resource types in their region. The resource types are (listed in the order given):

Forests
Fisheries
Watersheds
Coastal areas
Protected areas

Special regional context and characteristics

The Regional Working Group was asked to identify special regional contexts and characteristics in their region. The regional contexts and characteristics are (listed in the order given):

[no information provided]

Major messages

The Regional Working Group was asked to identify the major messages they wanted to give the CBNRM community in terms of how they assessed the situation in their region. The major messages are (listed in the order given):

Design strategies to strengthen communities in CBNRM
The State and the entrepreneurial sector to recognize the protagonistic role of communities for NRM
The participation of all stakeholders is a key issue in successful CBNRM initiatives
Promote a policy and legal framework for CBNRM, in which the broad and organized participation of all involved sectors is assured

Key policy issues

The Regional Working Group was asked to identify the key policy issues they wanted to give to the CBNRM community in terms of how they assessed the situation in their region. The key policy issues are (listed in the order given):

Strengthen the intermediate level organizations to act as promoters of CBNRM
Clarify the multiple relationships between the state, the entrepreneurial sector and the community sector
Facilitation and education at the community level
Resolve fundamental contradictions between current policies in relation to NRM
Increase information (access, analysis and quality) in order to make better decisions at the policy level

Strategies

The Regional Working Group was asked to identify strategies that addressed the key policy issues identified earlier. The strategies are (listed in the order given):

(A) Enabling policy and institutional environment

The policies and legal framework must be developed through participatory means
Communities need training, information and knowledge
Political and institutional reform preconditions for CBNRM

(B) Organizing effective community-based groups

Individual communities should coordinate work on democratic forms of CBNRM at the local level
Organizations that include representation of the state, the commercial private sector, NGOs and communities are needed
Training public sector agencies for CBNRM
Educational programs that develop democratic organizations and actions at the community CBNRM level
Better integration of sectoral policies to facilitate CBNRM

Decentralization
Create a common arena for negotiation
Build consensus regarding general policies between different levels and sectors
Governments should create partnerships to promote local organization, implement and apply policies, and monitor the results and impacts of policies

Actions

The Regional Working Group was asked to identify actions, directed at the workshop participants, and to be implemented upon returning home. The actions are (listed in the order given):

Strengthen technical and organizational capacity at the local level
Improve flow of technical information on the state of the resources, management tools, and tendencies of the resource quality to local actors
Contribute to the creation of fora for dialogue - both policy development and monitoring of progress - that include all levels of actors
Contribute to capacity-building of actors who will participate in the above fora

Recommendations

The Regional Working Group was asked to identify recommendations directed at: (i) governments and other public agencies, and (ii) the World Bank and other donors. The recommendations are (listed in the order given):

(A) Governments and other public agencies

Channel financial and technical resources to communities in a decentralized manner, giving control of decision-making and money to local levels
Review the policy and legal framework, and redesign policies, donor and World Bank programs in light of inputs from all levels of stakeholders
Governments and donor agencies should support programs and projects over the long term that responds to the needs and interests of communities

(B) World Bank and other donors

World Bank should strengthen institutions of investigation, and learn to generate information needed by communities and other actors
World Bank should strengthen organizations that provide training and technical assistance to communities and stakeholders, and those that do research
World Bank and other donors should create a database accessible to all levels of organizations about their programs
World Bank and other donors should help strengthen the social science orientation of government agencies
World Bank should support locally generated initiatives and proposals for CBNRM, not just government ones