Participatory Natural Resources Management in Mozambique: An Assessment of Legal and Institutional Arrangements for Community-Based Natural Resources Management

Abstract

"The objective of this paper is to assess whether the legal provisions for community participation natural resources management contained in the Mozambican environmental laws take into account the various factors that shape the effectiveness of participation and decentralization and the elements that promote the achievement of the dual objective defined for CBNRM. As studies in decentralization and participatory natural resources management reveal, granting natural resources management powers and the right to accrue benefits from such management to local communities is a complex task (Agrawal and Ribot, 1999). The complexity results from the political, legal and institutional issues that must be addressed in order to enable the effective exercise of management powers by local communities. Furthermore, ensuring that the powers devolved to local communities contribute to the efficient and equitable satisfaction of their economic and social needs, and simultaneously to natural resources conservation interests has also proven to be a difficult endeavor (Gibson, 1999). The paper will show that what is commonly called 'rights' is nothing more than simple privileges given and taken at the discretion of state authorities without real transfer of decision-making powers to local communities. Representation mechanisms proposed in laws as well as procedures established for CBNRM processes still need to be better clarified for these initiatives to correspond to the objectives declared. While upward accountability mechanisms for local actors can be found in most laws, downward accountability is lacking in all documents analyzed."