Beschreibung:
Despite efforts to establish protected areas around the world, the authority of government remains weak in forested areas. We examine the largest protected area in Central America, 'Bosawas' National Natural Resource Reserve in Nicaragua, to demonstrate how over-lapping systems of governance have encouraged rapid ecological destruction and social differentiation, as well as corruption and violence. We conclude that Migdal's observation about forest governance as being guided by 'strong societies and weak states'; (1988) is unlikely to change and must be the starting point for future efforts in decentralized natural resource management.