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This case study examines the participatory management of the Samori forest in the commune of Baye, Mali, analyzing the intersection of NGO-led community initiatives, state administration, and the process of democratic decentralization. The author argues that despite the presence of participatory structures, a true democratic decentralization has not occurred because power and decision-making authority remain concentrated with the state and the facilitating NGO, rather than being transferred to representative local institutions.

This case study examines the process of decentralization in Nicaragua, focusing on the transfer of natural resource management responsibilities to municipal governments. It highlights a significant gap between legal attributions and the actual transfer of power and funding from the central government, noting that while grassroots support for local autonomy is high, municipal capacity remains low and central control over revenue-generating resources persists.

This research paper examines the impact of post-socialist transition and decentralization on rural livelihoods and pasture land management in Mongolia during the 1990s. It argues that while formal political decentralization has occurred, a lack of administrative and fiscal autonomy has created an 'institutional vacuum' or 'de facto' decentralization. This environment, characterized by rising social inequality and a decline in pastoral mobility, poses significant threats to environmental sustainability and increases the vulnerability of poor herders to natural hazards.

This research paper by Fernando Melo Farrera, presented at a World Resources Institute conference in 2002, examines the tension between globalization and local diversity in Mexico. It argues that for municipalities to move beyond being mere operators of federal policy and become promoters of sustainable local development, Mexico must transition from a history of presidential centralism toward genuine decentralization and federalism that respects local autonomy and indigenous governance systems.

A letter from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment to the Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada arguing that environmental sustainability is essential to the long-term economic sustainability of the Canadian health care system.

This case study describes a scenario where the Western Oil & Gas Company evaluated a $2 million capital improvement project to upgrade motor systems at its Richmond, California refinery to improve energy efficiency and reliability.

This case study examines a proposed $2 million motor system upgrade at the Western Oil & Gas Company refinery in Richmond, California. Despite potential energy efficiency and reliability gains, the project faced internal hurdles including high operational risks, low strategic priority, and capital constraints due to other regulatory expenditures. The document explores how the involvement of an energy services company (ESCo) and a specialized financing firm provided the technical expertise and alternative funding structures—such as performance-based financing—necessary to make the project viable.

This research paper examines the impact of decentralization on forest management in the lowlands of Bolivia, focusing on the relationship between municipal governments and local forest users. It analyzes how policy reforms since the mid-1980s, including the Popular Participation Law of 1994 and the Forestry Law of 1996, transferred powers to local authorities. The author finds that while decentralization has increased the bargaining power of marginalized groups like indigenous people and small-scale timber producers, the actual outcomes for forest conservation and social equity are mixed due to bureaucratic hurdles, limited municipal budgets, and the continued influence of local elites.

This commemorative report by Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), published in June 2001, celebrates its 30th anniversary by documenting community-led sustainability projects across its global network of 66 independent groups. The document highlights local initiatives in forest preservation, organic food systems, biodiversity conservation, climate action, and resistance to neoliberal economic globalization.

This research paper describes the development and application of a set of six criteria used to assess 'good practices' in climate change mitigation policies and measures (PAM) across six Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. Led by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), the project aimed to help economies in transition find low-emission development paths and build institutional capacity to meet UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol obligations.

This case study examines a legal dispute between Grand Mines (Pty) Ltd and the liquidator of Bercon Mines (Pty) Ltd regarding whether the obligation to rehabilitate an opencast mine was reciprocal to the obligation to pay for delivered coal. The Supreme Court of Appeal ultimately dismissed the appeal by Grand Mines, ruling that the obligations were not reciprocal.

This research paper describes Singapore's strategies for integrating environmental protection with economic growth, focusing on the use of market-based instruments, international standards, and productivity programs to achieve sustainable development.

This research paper examines the emergence of markets for global environmental services in Central America, focusing on greenhouse gas emission reduction trading in Costa Rica and the role of shade-grown coffee in biodiversity and carbon sequestration in El Salvador.

This executive summary examines the emergence of environmental services markets in Central America, focusing on Costa Rica's leadership in carbon emission reductions and El Salvador's potential for biodiversity and carbon sequestration through shade-grown coffee. It analyzes how international agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and the Convention on Biological Diversity create financial opportunities for developing nations to link environmental conservation with sustainable economic development.

This document contains the proceedings of a Trade and Sustainable Development Workshop held on 1-2 July 1999 in Midrand, South Africa. Hosted by the IUCN, the Group for Environmental Monitoring (GEM), and the Trade and Industrial Policy Secretariat (TIPS), and funded by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the workshop aimed to identify international and domestic trends, research focus areas, and strategic interventions for South Africa regarding the World Trade Organization (WTO) and other trade policy negotiations to promote sustainable development.

This research paper examines the relationship between trade liberalization, economic growth, and environmental quality in Argentina during the 1990s. It argues that while the manufacturing sector saw little environmental improvement despite growth, the agricultural sector in the Pampas region experienced a 'virtuous cycle' where market-driven adoption of new technologies led to environmental benefits without the need for specific environmental policies.

This report evaluates a pilot project for the local management of rural electricity supply in Tanzania, specifically focusing on the Urambo Electric Consumers Co-operative Society (UECCO). It examines the transition from a state-managed utility model (TANESCO) to a community-managed cooperative, analyzing technical, financial, and sociological outcomes.

This case study examines Molten Metal Technology Inc. (MMT) between 1989 and 1995, focusing on its development of Catalytic Extraction Processing (CEP) to recycle hazardous and radioactive waste. While MMT achieved significant financial growth through an IPO and government grants, and formed strategic alliances with firms like Lockheed Martin, the company struggled to transition from R&D to full commercial operation by late 1995.

This report documents the proceedings of the Lima Workshop on Mining and Sustainable Development in the Americas, held from June 27-29, 1998. The event brought together 76 representatives from 11 countries—including industry, government, NGOs, and indigenous peoples—to discuss improving mining policies and practices to ensure they contribute to sustainable development in the hemisphere.

This report examines the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Southern Cone of South America, specifically within the Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay). It analyzes how the transition from military rule to democracy, combined with regional economic integration, inadvertently facilitated the flow of weapons to criminal organizations. The document provides detailed case studies on the 'culture of violence' in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, highlighting the roles of drug trafficking, police corruption, and socio-economic instability in driving the demand for firearms.