The role of customary institution(s) in natural resources governance
in the Western Solomon Islands.
Customary institution takes various forms in many parts of the
Oceania region. They play major roles in governance of natural
resources. For centuries people use these forms of institution as a
protocol to look after their resources. This forms includes,
families, clan, tribes and even the community. It has helped them in
many ways in terms of conserving the resources for the benefit of the
community. "Governance of natural resources" can be understood as the
interactions among structures, processes and traditions that
determine how power and responsibilities are exercised, how decisions
are taken, and how citizens or other stakeholders have their say in
the management of natural resources-including biodiversity
conservation (CMWG and TILCEPA).
The role of customary instituton in the western Solomons will be
highlighted in this piece of writing. It will also includes real life
examples of a communities studied by Shankar Aswani, in part of
western Solomons namely Olive. Thus governance of marine resources
will be the main focus of this piece of writing.
Solomon Islands
Before go on for further details lets define Solomon Islands. The
Solomon Islands, according to a source from internet (Wikipedia), is
a wide island nation that lies East of Papua New Guinea and consists
of many islands: The islands' ocean-equatorial climate is extremely
humid throughout the year, with a mean temperature of 27 °C (80 °F)
and few extremes of temperature or weather. June through August is
the cooler period. Legislation exists at national and provincial
levels to protect and manage the marine and terrestrial environments
of Solomon Islands. In addition, Solomon Islands is signatory to a
number of international conventions that provide a framework for
national policies. However, practices outlined in statutes and
ordinances are not always...