ESPAÑOL
PORTUGUÊS
FRANÇAIS 		  LOCAL GOVERNMENT
 
PART ONE:

Special Report: Decentralization (two-part series)
One country's efforts to give a voice to all

The historic isolation of Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast region from the rest of the country will soon be coming to a close.

Who is best qualified to manage the affairs of a province or a small town? In Latin America and the Caribbean, the answer has long been a bureaucrat in the nation’s capital.

Countries are now turning away from this tradition of highly centralized administration. They are charging local officials with responsibilities for financial planning, natural resource management, and other key areas. But in many cases, local officials are not up to the job, and this poses a serious obstacle not only to effective administration but also to the growth of democratic institutions.

This two-part series looks at the considerable problems facing the people of Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast and how the IDB will help local and regional governments meet the challenges of decentralization.

 

Do-it-yourself democracy
On Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast, long-neglected communities are taking charge.
What can be done to save the lobsters?
Local people organize for a greater say over their economic future.
‘We know our land best.’
An ex-mayor makes the case for greater local control over natural resources.
Tale of two islands
Effective government stands a better chance where people still say hello.
The frustrations of being governor
Real power depends on an efficient bureaucracy and a strong tax base.

PART TWO:

A new kind of power
Communities on Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast face the burdens of greater autonomy; will they also taste the rewards?
Simple problems, complex politics
Local leaders set aside old rivalries and broker compromises in an effort to solve long-standing challenges.
Who will decide the fishermen's fate?
The battle to save Nicaragua's lobsters—and the divers who catch them—is now in the hands of regional governments.
Whose resources? Whose decisions?
The threat of destructive tree harvesting galvanizes a community and leads to a sustainable road project.
The complex reality of a simple fishing village
Isolation and the drug trade undermine progress in an idyllic setting.
IDB pledges to help Nicaragua's Atlantic Coast
Bank will help citizens and government to join in pursuing development goal.
Donor agencies join hands
New IDB program coordinates with other donor-funded programs in Nicaragua.