Evaluation of LAMP in different contexts:broader change processesdevelopment thinkingcomparative analysis of different conditions of LAMP in the four districts it has been implemented inFindings include: recommending that the programme shifts focus from considering its core as natural resources management to one of support to the empowerment, mobilisation and capacity building of village communities with emphasis on natural resource managementconcentration should be on production, environment and rightstechnical assitance should shift towards capacity building and empowermentstakeholder par

This document takes a historical view of the relations between individual and collective actors in local water management in the Mekong Delta in southern Vietnam.

The paper begins by outlining Chinese grassland policy in the reform period and then describes key aspects of actual local level arrangements for grassland management. This description is based on the authors’ field studies at different sites on the Tibetan plateau (within Sichuan and Yunnan Province and the Tibetan Autonomous Region) and Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous Region1. A considerable difference between grassland policy and local-level arrangements is found, and the next section justifies these arrangements in terms of the social, ecological and economic context.

This paper presents information illustrating how trade in timber, gems, and gold is financing violent conflict, including widespread and gross human rights abuses, in Burma.

A publication from Engineers Against Poverty for the extractive industries - an eight-page briefing note to guide oil, gas and mining (OGM) companies on how they can maximise the contribution of local enterprises to the supply chain of their projects in low income countries. It provides practical guidance on three major opportunity areas to increase local enterprise participation in project supply chains:

modifying procurement policies and processes
modifying contract documentation
supporting the efficacy of supplier development programs

As cities expand, a key challenge is securing water supplies for urban populations and disposing of pollution while minimising impacts on peri-urban communities and the environment.  This book describes the conflicts, dialogues and negotiations underway in peri-urban areas of many cities in the South. 

This book, prepared by the Philippine Environmental Governance Project, serves as a reference guide for field personnel in guiding communities, investors, local government units, private persons and other organisations desiring to apply for tenure instruments on forest lands.The book covers all existing tenure and allocation agreements for the management and use of forest resources in forest lands. Agreements generally refer to long-term tenure instruments in forest lands with right of occupation.

This collection of articles looks at the role of natural resources in Western Sahara and outlines the framework for Western Sahara’s independence from Morocco.There is no doubt that the question of the natural resources of Western Sahara such as fish, oil and phosphates has been the main reason for the interest in the area in question.

In 2002, Forest Trends reported that in recent decades governments had begun to reduce their legal ownership and control of the world’s forests. This document evaluates whether this forest tenure transition continued in the 2002–2008 period, and assesses the implications of statutory forest tenure change for forest people, governments, and the global community. The report is based on the monitoring of governments’ data on formal and legal tenure by the Rights and Resources Initiative. The authors find that the transition did continue in the 2002–2008 period.

The corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda has been a part of the global debate on socio-economic development for many decades. Countless claims have been made that CSR can contribute towards more inclusive development and the alleviation of poverty. This briefing examines the concept and role of CSR in the mining industry of South Africa. The mining case study reviewed here demonstrates that key implementation challenges are a lack of co-ordination and alignment with the government’s development plans, at both national and local level, coupled with weak monitoring and evaluation.

This report identifies the challenges that African legislators face in overseeing their countries’ oil and mining industries, as well as best practices in use around the world and recommendations for future engagement. The report finds that international organisations, local advocacy groups, and multinational corporations have played a key role in increasing public access to information and awareness in government oversight. Also, a growing number of African legislatures are more active in the management and oversight of the extractive sector.

In the natural resources sector, laws are often formulated to regulate the relationship between men and the environment. Ideally, the law can play a vital role in regulating and protecting communities from adverse environmental and social impacts of mining, loss of land, biodiversity and natural wealth, as well as other human rights violations. Almost all countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have developed laws and institutions to regulate and monitor the extraction of mineral resources and their impact on the environment and people.