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Decentralization for Increased Sustainability in Natural Resource Management? Two Cautionary Cases from Ghana

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  • James Natia Adam

    (Institute of Geography, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    Center for Regional Economic Development, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Timothy Adams

    (Institute of Geography, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    Center for Regional Economic Development, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Jean-David Gerber

    (Institute of Geography, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
    Center for Regional Economic Development, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland)

  • Tobias Haller

    (Institute of Social Anthropology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland)

Abstract

In Sub-Saharan African countries, governments are increasingly devolving natural resource management from central administration to the local government level as a trend toward subsidiarity. In parallel, efforts to implement formalization processes have resulted in a puzzling institutional arena, wherein mixed actors are struggling to influence the paths of institutional change and the associated distribution of land and land-related resources. Relying on political ecology and new institutionalism in social anthropology, we investigate how the decentralization of formalization of rights in artisanal and small-scale gold mining can lead to paradoxical outcomes, often negatively impacting social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Two comparative case studies are performed in Ghana. Our results show that the negative effects of formalization efforts for resource end users are to be understood in the broad context of actors’ repositioning strategies following the selective implementation of decentralization. The authors conclude that increasing the power of the central government and line ministries to control local resources can influence the disenfranchisement of local people’s participation and control of natural resources, resulting in a relentless environmental crisis.

Suggested Citation

  • James Natia Adam & Timothy Adams & Jean-David Gerber & Tobias Haller, 2021. "Decentralization for Increased Sustainability in Natural Resource Management? Two Cautionary Cases from Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-23, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:12:p:6885-:d:577189
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    6. James Natia Adam & Timothy Adams & Jean-David Gerber, 2021. "The Politics of Decentralization: Competition in Land Administration and Management in Ghana," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-19, September.

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