Natural Resources Management and Gender

Increasing recognition of the interaction between poverty, and resources and environmental degradation has led to interventions that put more and more emphasis on working with local communities to improve the management of the environment and natural resources. Identifying and overcoming the barriers to women's, and men's, full participation in the management of resources is a necessary first step towards the ultimate goals of poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Understanding the environmental roles and responsibilities of women and men is critical to sustainable resource management practices.

The chapters in the book reflect experiences with mainstreaming gender and women's issues in natural resources management. The introductory paper, focusing on the history and current status of gender and natural resources management, is followed by five further papers presenting cases of this approach, written by experts and practitioners from different parts of the world. The papers examine diverse natural resources from different perspectives, ranging from the household and community level to national and regional policy. They examine the security of women's rights to common property resources and land in West Africa; mainstreaming gender in water policy and institutions in Gujarat, India; gender-responsive planning in wetland development in Uganda; empowering women in managing natural resources in mountain areas of the Hundu-Kush Himalayas of Pakistan; and the development of gender policies for environmental ministries in Mesoamerica.

The papers are complemented by an extensive annotated bibliography, including references to books, journals and electronic documents, and a list of relevant Web resources. Together, these resources provide a global overview of the work in this field. Published in association with KIT Publishers.