Municipal Government and Local Collective Action

Abstract

"Municipalities are the main actor in Guatemala's public policy implementation. They are key players in the constitutional mandate to provide and protect the common good whether it be environmental, social or economic. They are important tools to enhace local natural resource management. Policy design includes and empowers municipalities and provides the instruments necessary for sound municipal management of resources towards their mandate. The Municipality Act and de Decentralization Act Public Policy also provides civil society with the means and arenas for local active participation and accountability. However, in the field, the author has encountered an ample and wide array of processes and policy outcomes. The paper dwells on the challenges of several local forest management experiences and the role the Municipal government plays. The author reflects on the varied outcomes of the community-municipality relationships, their impact on forest conservation and on local institutional arrangements. Field research was done as part of the IFRI Research Program in Guatemala and complemented with Land Use/Land Cover change analysis."