Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
of actions was more effective than the sequential ordering of
activities (Sproule-Jones
2002
). An ambitious endeavor,
implementation of this model yielded many positive results
and changed the landscape of conservation and natural
resource management in the region. The WAMI project, in
particular, was relevant and strategic for the PRCM and
contributed directly to better management and protection of
the mangrove zone at the local and national levels (Borner
and Guissé
2010
). It also had an impact at the international
level when a coalition of PRCM partners successfully lob-
bied parties to the Abidjan Convention in 2012 to adopt a
motion to develop an additional protocol to the convention
on the mangrove (PRCM
2012b
).
Furthermore, the PRCM was able to effectively create
other networks that impact specific thematic areas. The
partnership then worked to build synergies between those
networks and the actors within them to maintain its global,
systematic approach.
From the relationships created over years of working
shoulder to shoulder on the preservation of endangered
sharks and rays, to the ties reinforced by mutual struggles to
create MPAs, the PRCM has stimulated innovation and
promoted learning, adaptation, and cooperation. All of these
elements are essential to attaining more effective, equitable,
and sustainable results across all scales and are appreciated
by various actors throughout the region (Fig.
4
).
people are one of the main culprits responsible for biodi-
versity and habitat loss and are more affected by the con-
servation of environmental resources, they must be the
prime targets for ensuring its protection. Expanding and
then channeling human capacity is therefore fundamental to
preserving our environment and its diverse ecosystems. In
the West African region and beyond, conservation that is
effective in the long-term hinges on linking dedicated
individuals and institutions that possess the ability and
assets to confront the pressures facing our natural world
(Duval-Diop and Meriaux 2012; PRCM 2012; FIBA 2012).
Strengthening capacity is also a way of levelling an often
lopsided playing field and ensuring equity in the face of
external actors who hold a wealth of resources and
knowledge. The old adage holds true—'knowledge is
power.' When local populations are empowered with
knowledge that enables action, they can then take the lead
in conservation efforts. While external interventions can be
useful in the short term, particularly in helping to raise
awareness of external pressures that are difficult to perceive
at the local level, lasting conservation that is grounded in a
new way of regarding the environment and that leads to
changed behavior must come from local communities and
institutions.
Therefore, a key function of governance networks is to
connect different competencies and capacity gaps with
sources of knowledge in order to truly enable the engage-
ment of local stakeholders (Dedeeurwaedere
2005
). In all
effective networks, the empowerment of local actors to
effectively contribute to shared agendas is a major strength
of governance. Thus, a commitment to capacity building is
also a necessary component of successful networked gov-
ernance in the domain of conservation and natural resource
management.
The PRCM invested a significant amount of resources
(26 % of total resources in 2011 alone) to build the capacity
of both local institutions and individuals to understand the
nature of the problems affecting local ecosystems, to do data
collection and monitoring, to contribute to the formulation of
policy solutions as well as to implement local project solu-
tions (Fig.
5
). Experimentation on the ground through pilot
projects allowed the collection of data and information on
best practices, which informed the development of tools used
in training and capacity building. Local actors were linked
through networks with regional actors, thus enhancing their
ability to advocate in the policy arena. This was often
accomplished through facilitating dialogue and exchange
among regional experts to share best practices. Through
workshops and training, the PRCM also built the capacity of
organizations by connecting regional technical expertise
with people who needed that expertise on the ground.
This strategy truly levels the playing field between on-
the-ground work and high-level policy making and balances
The PRCM: A Force for Capacity Building
A critical role of governance networks is the promotion of
learning and cooperation at multiple and linked scales. A
collaborative system, that connects smaller governance
systems and people operating at the local level with actors
who are capable of addressing broader-scale, regional issues,
depends on building the human capacity of local actors.
They are most effective when generally organized to allow
the knowledge acquired at local scales that emerges from
experimentation with possible solutions to percolate to the
national and regional levels. Decentralizing the formulation
and implementation of policies is one way of empowering
lower levels and smaller scales. This is particularly impor-
tant when different aspects of a complex problem may be
experienced at different scales, and where the potential for
implementation of sustainable solutions should be coordi-
nated across scales. But this cannot be accomplished without
the meaningful engagement of local communities, which in
turn depends on their ability to fully engage with the process.
Capacity building as a term is not easy to define pre-
cisely, because of the breadth of areas that it touches.
However, at its most basic level, capacity building deals
with people, organizations, communities, and the process of
improving the effectiveness of what everyone does. Because
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