Community forestry in Ethiopia: finding the locus of governance

Abstract

Community management of Natural Resources is a growing trend throughout the world. Common Pool Resource theory has proliferated in recent years, suggesting that institutional dynamics of resource management regimes are critical for ensuring their success. This dissertation will examine the case of Ethiopia, with particular emphasis on the Integrated Forest Management Project there. The role for government in Common Pool Resource management has been a central focus of scholarship; however, in the case of Ethiopia, the government is limited primarily by limited environmental capacity. Linking environmental capacity theory with research on community-based forest management yields analytical insights into the feasibility of such regimes in developing countries. The locus of governance for community forestry in Ethiopia is seen as residing primarily at the local level, but only with a strong backdrop of government support in the form of enabling legislation, formal devolution of power, and commitment to local capacity building.