Institutions and Woodstock Governance in Mali

Abstract

"This paper explores issues posed by this choice. Since the fall of the Traore military regime in 1991, local efforts are underway to restore control over Bore Forest more fully to villagers who inhabit the forest or live in areas immediately adjacent. The Near Bast Foundation (NBF), a non-governmental organization (NGO), has strongly supported these efforts. The case illustrates generic problems that arise in Mali and other areas of Francophone Africa, where returning to local communities the governance and management authority over renewable natural resources (RNR) claimed after independence by the national government is under consideration. The case is of significance for other parts of Africa and indeed Third World countries as it highlights dilemmas inherent in trying to improve the efficiency and equity of RNR management by transferring political power from the central to local-level governments."