Insights and guidance for putting integrated natural resources management into practice in Africa at meso-scale

Abstract

Natural resources in Africa are under increasing pressure to sustain the continent’s growing economies and populations, as well as competition for access to Africa’s resources from global economies. Management of these resources has become imperative to prevent over-utilisation and ensure that the local custodians of the resources are able to benefit in the long-term. Natural Resource Management (NRM) in Africa is a complex problem, needing to balance demands across different stakeholders, sectors and scales, in a context where governance is often uncoordinated and under-resourced. Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) encompasses the concept that natural resources are not only important for direct use, but are critical in supporting basic service provision, local economic development and social well-being. Although the concepts of INRM have been in play in Africa since the late 1980s (Hagmann et al., 2001) and the principles widely accepted, implementation in operational planning and management has been limited. Campbell et al. (2004) concluded ‘Our seeming inability to translate the approaches into practical achievements on the ground is leading to widespread disillusionment. …. What is surprising is not the improvement of approaches over the past 40 years – rather it is their fundamental similarity.’ This conclusion establishes a challenge to provide practical tools that can assist in translating concepts into improved outcomes on the ground. We need to entrench an integrated approach in the practice of NRM and associated governance frameworks. The AfroMaison project was instituted under the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme to address the challenges of making INRM in Africa operational. The project worked with five geographically and culturally diverse case studies, namely: Tunisia (Oum Zessar Watershed); Mali (Inner Niger Delta); Ethiopia (headwaters of the Blue Nile); Uganda (Rwenzori Mountains); and South Africa (uThukela District)