Chapter 3. CO-MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Document begins: Chapter 3. CO-MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES 3.1 What`s iin aa n name? There are two main challenges in managing natural resources. One is to respond appropriately to the ecological characteristics of a given environment, preserving its integrity and functions while assuring a flow of benefits from it. This challenge is mostly about content-- the what and when of managing natural resources. The other is to respond to the social characteristics of the same environment, dealing in an effective way with the inevitably conflicting interests and concerns of differ- ent social actors. This challenge is mostly about process-- the who and how of managing natural resources. Throughout history, attempts to respond to the latter social challenge have included many forms of hostile struggle, both open and violent and hidden, via various means of social control. Fortunately, they also include a variety of collaborative, co-management solutions.1 In this chapter we will attempt to illustrate and systematise some contemporary collaborative solutions to resource management challenges. Under diverse socio- political and economic circumstances, these span a bewildering array of processes, agreements and organisations, as it will be apparent from the concrete examples we will describe. 1 And at times, they include a ...