Integrated Lake Management

Lessons

Improving access to natural resources for women and the poor

Securing equitable access to, and gaining benefits from, natural resources, is essential for poverty reduction. Within fisheries, whilst access must be controlled for sustainable management, systems can also support poverty reduction and gender equity objectives. On Lake George, ILM supported the development and implementation of a new decentralised and participatory approach to issuing fishing boat licences. The approach increases access to the poor and women, through agreed allocation targets for women and boat crew. Improving access therefore requires:

1. Securing access to natural resources for poverty reduction: Securing access by the poor to natural resources is essential for poverty reduction in NR-dependent communities.
2. Decentralised, participatory licensing increases transparency and accountability: Involving local people in decision-making during a licensing process ensures that local knowledge is used and increases the transparency and accountability of the process.
3. Allocations of boat licences for marginalized groups: Specific allocations of new licences to the boat crew and women have increased the access of the poor to the fishery.
4. Access agreements for other natural resources: Fisheries communities also require access to non-fisheries NRs. These include accessing wetlands, forests and NRs within Protected Areas.