ABSTRACT
There is broad consensus in international development and policy circles that decentralization and good governance are an inherent component of environmentally sustainable, pro-poor development. The trend since the 1980s and 1990s towards decentralization in many regions, including Africa, is in line with this thinking. The chapters in this volume provide insights and lessons from African countries on how decentralization and governance reform processes are unfolding and their impacts upon actors and stakeholders at different levels.
