Environment for Development

The African Economic Research Consortium is hereby calling for papers for presentation at an international conference on Natural Resource Management, Climate Change and Economic Development in Africa. Papers are particularly solicited from AERC network members, but anyone with relevant experience and credentials in the topic area is invited to submit their work. Qualified women are urged to send papers, and research teams are encouraged.

Sub-Saharan African countries are highly dependent on natural resources for both livelihoods and income generation. This is partly because a large proportion of their populations live in rural areas where agriculture is the main economic activity, and partly because such countries lack the requisite human and man-made capital that would enable them to engage in secondary and tertiary production activities. Thus, the system of natural resource management determines the trend and pace of economic growth and development.

Over the years, systems of natural resource management have changed. Centralized state control over conservation of natural resources has dominated, and proceeds from the resources have not always contributed to economic growth. Communities are often seen as being in constant conflict with the environment as they pursue their socioeconomic objectives. In such a situation there has been little success in curtailing over-exploitation and degradation of natural resources. Consequently, a new approach that incorporates the needs and aspirations of the local people in natural resource management processes has emerged. From this perspective the state devolves some property rights to local communities to allow them to take a more active role in conservation efforts. The results of this approach in Africa vary from one country to another, being positive in some and negative in others. The linkages between natural resource management and other broader issues of development are thus not sufficiently understood. It is therefore important to establish the relationships among natural resource management and other aspects of economic development such as poverty reduction, international trade, finance, political economy and macroeconomic concerns.

Policy makers require accurate data to support informed decisions about natural resource management. To build that evidence base and at the same time create a critical mass of African researchers capable of undertaking policy relevant research in this area, AERC seeks to mainstream natural resource management issues into its thematic research spectrum. Research findings would thereby contribute to raising political awareness that can trigger action. Accordingly, AERC also envisages a series of collaborative research projects to provide guides for policy aimed at responding to the issues, challenges and opportunities presented by the natural resource management and economic development nexus.

To kick-start the process, AERC will convene an International Conference on Natural Resource Management and Economic Development as part of its 20th Anniversary activities. For presentation at the conference, papers are invited in the following areas:

1. Natural Resource Management, Poverty, Income Distribution and Labour Market Issues
2. Natural Resource Management, Macroeconomic Policies, Investment and Growth
3. Natural Resource Management, International Trade and Regional Integration
4. Natural Resource Management, Finance and Resource Mobilization
5. Political Economy and Sectoral Issues in Natural Resource Management and Economic Development

Papers will ultimately be published as the proceedings of the conference. The papers should be in English and should not exceed 15,000 words in length (approximately 30 pages of 11pt type at 1.5 line spacing). Anyone with relevant experience and credentials in the topic area is invited to submit their work. Qualified women are urged to send papers, and research teams are encouraged. The AERC publications style guide, The Publications Variable, is available on the website at
Click here

Papers should be submitted to
Director of Research, AERC at
nresource@aercafrica.org
ON OR BEFORE 15 AUGUST 2008