TY - JA AU - Mowo,J. AU - Masuki,K. AU - Lyamchai,C. AU - Tanui,J. AU - Adimassu,Z. AU - Kamugisha,R. TI - By-laws formulation and enforcement in natural resource management: lessons from the highlands of eastern Africa PY - 2016/// CY - United Kingdom PB - Taylor and Francis Group KW - Natural resources management KW - Africa N1 - Peer review; MCRP; FP1 N2 - Degradation of land, water and vegetation in the highlands of eastern Africa is on the increase in the face of the enforcement of natural resource management (NRM) policies and related by-laws. In this study, reasons behind the limited contribution of NRM bylaws in arresting degradation of natural resources in the highlands of Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda are presented, and opportunities to improve effectiveness identified. Using key informants’ interviews, focus group discussions, workshops, case studies and literature review, it is shown that inadequate community participation in the process of by-laws formulation and enforcement is the main reason for the ineffectiveness of most NRM by-laws in the three countries. When communities are fully involved in the process of NRM by-laws formulation and enforcement and both conventional and indigenous by-laws enforcement mechanisms are adopted, incidences of abuse of natural resources were reduced by as much as 50% in some of the study sites UR - http://libcatalog.cimmyt.org/Download/cis/58278.pdf DO - https://doi.org/10.1080/14728028.2016.1159998 T2 - Forests, Trees and Livelihoods ER -