The Role of Community Based Institutions in Sustainable Management of Forest, Water and Soil: A Case Study of Mount Elgon Ecosystem, Uganda

Abstract

"This review paper is on the role played by community based institutions in the sustainable management of forest, soil and water in the last two decades at Mount Elgon, Uganda.

"The paper explores how the state can create good conditions for community based institutions to participate in natural resource management without itself taking a much active role. The case of Mount Elgon, Uganda is where NGOs and CBOs by default, 'mushroomed' to fill in the gap created by the central government, which had failed to manage the mountain natural resources since 1970. In the early 1990s, the government realized its weakness and put in place good policies and legislation, which made community based institutions to blossom, and without even proper coordination mechanism, yielded a significant positive impact towards the sustainable management of Mount Elgon ecosystem.

"The paper evaluates some key indicators used to determine the successes and failures of CBIs. Among them are, the contribution of CBIs to policy and legislative reforms and adherence to good sustainable management principles. The level of capacity building especially in the areas of strengthening of local peoples' rights, negotiation power and self- governance is discussed. Another indicator analyzed is the level of promotion of management of livelihood assets. Also review is level of strengthening financial availability and mechanism towards (un) sustainability. The level of reduction to vulnerability is considered. Promotion of environmental benefits and the contribution by CBIs towards reduction of threats on biodiversity was evaluated

"The analysis compared the rich experience of mount Elgon case with related national resource management practices elsewhere. The paper then ends by making some recommendations on the way forward for the management of the ecosystem, which offers good lesson learning for the region and the entire global community."