At the heart of co-management of natural resources is a process of collective understanding and action by local communities and other social actors. The process brings about negotiated agreements on management roles, rights, and responsibilities, making explicit the conditions and institutions of sound decentralised governance. De facto, co-management is about sharing power. The publication is designed to support those who wish to better understand collaborative management processes and to develop and enhance them in practice. The experience of social actors learning by doing and improving their management practices on an on-going basis has informed this book, as have the complex and inspiring ways by which socio-political conditions can be improved through participatory democracy.
Includes bibliographic references. Launched at the 5th World Parks Congress, Durban, ZA, 8-17 September 2003. A reprint published by Earthscan in 2007 is also available.