A review of sustainable development implementation through local action from an ecosystem management perspective

The search for implementation strategies to achieve environmental health has been central to actualization of the concept of sustainable development. The dialogue that this search has engendered focuses on "top down" or "bottom up" approaches with particular emphasis on the need for small scale local actions. This paper examines the merits and limitations of local or small scale actions from an ecosystem perspective. While local actions enhance information gathering, build capacity for implementation, and serve as a tool for learning, challenges of scale associated with wide-scale application of policies, the restriction of property right regimes, and differences in cultural expectations are also evident. Management systems that employ concepts of environmental governance appear to overcome shortcomings of earlier approaches and ultimately contribute to improved environmental integrity.