The authors started the discussion with the fundamental question: why are property rights important? The central hypothesis of this collaborative venture is that inappropriate property rights institutions lead to resource degradation. Two cases were distinguished: single-user resources and multiple-use resources. A good example of a single-user resource is land. Absence of secure property rights will result in land degradation, as incentives to improve the resource base do not exist under such conditions.

Technical information

We analyse the threats of global environmental change, as they relate to food security. First, we review three discourses: (i) ‘sustainable intensification’, or the increase of food supplies without compromising food producing inputs, such as soils and water; (ii) the ‘nexus’ that seeks to understand links across food, energy, environment and water systems; and (iii) ‘resilience thinking’ that focuses on how to ensure the critical capacities of food, energy and water systems are maintained in the presence of uncertainties and threats.

Traditionally, the users? organisations at local level are playing an important role for the management of natural resources by organizing the users. The Government of Nepal through its Water Resources Strategy 2002 and National Water Plan 2005 has emphasized a holistic approach in place of sectoral one for natural resources management at sub/basin level based on the principle of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). It envisages the creation of committee at the sub/basin level, which is lacking at present.

A senior agricultural officer describes the steps being taken by the extension services in Malawi to enable farmers overcome the challenge of drought