|
The way that Local Agenda 21 principles have been successfully
embraced in both the developing and the industrialized world is a powerful
encouragement for decentralization. However, decentralization to the municipal
level has not always increased policy effectiveness, particularly in low
and middle-income countries. This is because:
- local democracy is often lacking;
- responsibilities among different authorities overlap;
- power and control over resources are often retained by higher levels
of government, including the ability to raise revenues; and
- local technical and institutional capacity is weak and affected by
inefficient local governance.
Local measures are especially important to support the fight against
poverty. As the scenarios in Chapter 4 have shown, the more desirable
outcomes have involved rather than ignored individuals and local communities,
which must be enabled to participate fully in decision-making affecting
access to and management of common environmental assets and services.
For this to happen, strong democratic local institutions are essential.
| Ways to strengthen local action |
- Integrate Local Agenda 21s into urban politics and policies
while respecting their consultative and participatory nature
- Create awareness and ownership over the local environment (whether
rural or urban) and its links to the global environment among
the general public
- Create opportunities for public involvement in decisionmaking
on local environmental issues, and support community rights to
own and care for the land their members inhabit and the resources
they use
|
|
