Environment : The same set of reform measures-creation of democratically elected local authorities and implementation of consultative processes-helped strengthen local approaches to environmental management. But we found that in questions of environment, a more complex set of checks and balances was needed.
Some of the decentralization reforms studied devolved a range of development planning responsibilities to the commune or village level, which encompassed many facets of a communitys needs. The creation of local authorities that were accountable to the local population did not, in itself, guarantee that environmental management was a top priority in local plans. If communities considered environmental protection and livelihood concerns to be aligned, they would work with local authorities toward win-win arrangements. For example, in some cases, local people saw community forestry as an avenue for meeting subsistence needs, raising income and diversifying risk. But in other cases, residents called on their local government to prioritize infrastructure and economic development rather than natural resource protection.
When the decentralization policy studied was sectoral in nature-such as the forest sector-the link between good governance and good environmental outcomes was clearer. Policy effectiveness was greatly increased when local authorities were accountable to local people and followed transparent practices.