Natural Resource Management and Land Policy in Developing Countries: Lessons learned and new challenges for the World Bank

The World Bank’s concept of its development mission has deepened in recent years, with greater weight being given to poverty eradication and environmental stewardship. Natural resource management has taken its place alongside agriculture as a major rural development concern. A more integrated picture of rural livelihoods has emerged, along with a growing appreciation of the viability of production systems that make extensive but sustainable use of fragile resources, such as those of pastoralists. This paper looks at the World Bank’s involvement in land policy issues in forests and protected areas and in pastoral and rangeland development, and summarises the lessons learned.