Decentralization and Natural Resources Management

This paper considers the problem of the influence of political and fiscal decentralization in the state management in the field of natural mineral resources in Indonesia and Nigeria during the period from the beginning of 1990-ies. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of decentralization on natural resource management in comparing the cases of Nigeria and Indonesia. The paper analyzes the process of decentralization, the institutional and legal framework within which natural resources are managed. The problem is analyzed in the methodology of cross-case study. The focus is on how the changing relationship between the center and the regions and its effect on the management of natural resources. The work will analyze the "rules of the game" between the authorities, business representatives, local communities in the context of decentralization in the field of natural resources management. The study provides an in-depth review of the literature on the analysis of the causes and effects of decentralization processes, their impact on the management of natural resources. The issues related to the actions in the sphere of natural resources management in unstable transition periods are considered. Based on the results of the work done, it can be concluded that the impact of the political and fiscal decentralization on management of natural resources is controversial, leading to a change in the balance of political forces. The effects of decentralization on natural resource management in Indonesia and Nigeria are quite controversial.