The participation of the public, local communities, indigenous peoples, and various other stakeholders in natural resources policymaking, planning and/or management has been increasingly promoted in international and national policies. This book analyses and discusses how participation does - or does not - occur in the management of forest and water resources at various institutional levels in European contexts.
More precisely, the authors critically analyse how the state has, over time, strengthened its own development interests by removing decisions over the management of natural resources from local users and communities’ hands and today tends to instrumentalise peoples’ participation for its own legitimacy purposes. This evolution is considered in light of two more recent trends, namely the globalisation of economic interests and the demands for democratisation, decentralisation, and accountability. The authors highlight the strategies various state agencies use to control participation in decision-making processes relating to forest and water resource management. |
