Conference:
Abstract: "During the last few years, there has been a considerable discussion concerning the environment in African drylands and the management of its resources. Several studies discuss what has been labelled a paradigm shift in Sahelian Natural Resource Management. Earlier, 'Sahel orthodoxy's' have blamed the local people of causing natural resource degradation. Today this view is being replaced by alternative views or emerging paradigms in fields such as pastoral development, management of common property resources, fuelwood management and in development thinking (the new stress on participation and decentralization). These new paradigms are discussed in relation to the forthcoming decentralization reform in Mali. During the colonial period, a heavily centralized government was installed in all the French colonies. The Malian governments after independence have kept this centralized structure. However, after the overthrow of former president Moussa Traoré in March 1991, critique against the centralized state and calls the decentralization have increasingly been heard. The new government, which was elected in 1992, is now reviewing the structure and functioning of the administrative system of the state, especially in the context of land tenure and natural resource management. The proposals so far are to establish Communes containing a few villages or nomadic factions. Councils will be elected to independently administrate the territorial units belonging to the Communes. The state will only be represented by an advisor in Commune. Possible problems and potentials of the decentralization reform in Mali related to natural resource management will be discussed referring to the co-management model, and to examples of customary local natural resource management in Mali."