Institutional framework

Biodiversity-related laws and institutions will be key mechanisms for attaining the objectives of the Convention on biological diversity. As part of the national biodiversty planning process, legal and institutional profiles should be undertaken to ascertain which laws apply to and affect biodiversity and which institutions oversee legislation and portfolios which intersect with biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and benefit-sharing of genetic resources.

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.

With a large percentage of the world’s population moving to urban areas, clean, affordable and timely supply of drinking and domestic water to its residents has become a priority. In most cities of the world, the primary responsibility of supplying drinking and domestic water lies with public utilities that often suffer from a series of ailments like poor cost recovery, poor and intermittent supply, and deficit budgets.

Le processus collectif de compréhension et d’action par les communautés locales et d’autres acteurs sociaux se trouve au cœur de la « cogestion » des ressources naturelles. Ce processus aboutit à des accords négociés sur les rôles de gestion, les droits, les responsabilités et rendent explicites les conditions et institutions pour une gouvernance saine et décentralisée. De fait, la cogestion revient à partager le pouvoir.