What role do local communities have under the Convention to Combat Desertification?
Traditional development planning has too often been top-down. Outside experts start the process by defining objectives, activities, and expected outputs. Sometimes they visit the area to consult local authorities, inform them of the plan, and invite the community to help in executing projects. The Convention intends to turn this approach upside down. The spirit and letter of the Convention reflect the philosophy of participatory development. Action programmes to combat desertification are to originate at the local level and to be based on genuine local participation. Shared ownership of planned initiatives is a key condition for their sustainability. Why is local participation in project planning so important? Projects must survive once foreign experts withdraw! Over the past two decades, programmes designed with little reference to the perceptions and capacities of local people have often failed. Outsiders cannot necessarily identify local needs and priorities or work out how best to
