“If policymakers and practitioners aim to improve livelihood resilience and reduce vulnerabilities of poor rural households, issues of resource competition and conflict management cannot be ignored. While multi-stakeholder dialogue and action planning is not a suitable approach in all instances, it can be an important element of programmes investing in food security, conservation, rural economic development, conflict prevention, and inclusive governance.”
Investing in multi-stakeholder dialogue to address natural resource competition and conflict
JOURNAL ARTICLE | 2018
How can multi-stakeholder dialogue help assess and address the roots of environmental resource competition and conflict? This article summarises the outcomes and lessons from action research in large lake systems in Uganda, Zambia, and Cambodia. Dialogues linking community groups, NGOs and government agencies have reduced local conflict, produced agreements with private investors, and influenced government priorities in ways that respond to the needs of marginalized fishing communities. The article details policy guidance in four areas: building stakeholder commitment, understanding the institutional and governance context, involving local groups in the policy reform process, and embracing adaptability in program implementation.