ABSTRACT
The author proposes that participatory, face-to-face governance is an important ingredient in successful CBNRM and is very different from representational governance. He makes this case by comparing the performance of CBNRM in the Luangwa Valley in Zambia under representational and participatory governance respectively, and with data from regional surveys. Participatory governance is associated with inclusive society, informed participation, equitable benefit sharing, social capital, and the protection of marginalised groups, including women. This raises the question of ‘imposing’ participation in non-inclusive societies and monitoring compliance with associated rules. It also highlights Dunbar’s number, with participation and equitable benefit sharing declining precipitously above a threshold of about 300 households, while economic games suggest that these are structural differences that can be managed, rather than cultural differences. The chapter concludes by discussing the effects of hierarchical scale on governance, and the implications of implementing participatory governance at scale.
