Abstract
Participatory approach, which refers to inclusive processes that facilitate the bottom-up solutions, is essential for sustainable development. This study examines the effectiveness of participatory approaches, wherein the stakeholders actively engaged in decision-making and implementation processes of developmental concerns. The study reviews the theoretical underpinnings of participation, and highlights its potential benefits i.e. increased ownership, improved resource management, and enhanced social equity. The study employs an empirical approach to assess the impact of participatory approaches vis-a-vis natural resource management, community development projects, and environmental protection initiatives. The study uses original microdata, 5 years panel data, of women-driven and women-based community development networks of Pakistan, engaged in a range of community-based/driven interventions, e.g., micro-enterprise, finance, infrastructure, and human resource development. Moreover, the study critically assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the aforementioned approaches, with and without taking into the constraints i.e., effective participation, power balance, capacity gaps. The study gives mixed results as far as the effectiveness of participatory approaches. To conclude, despite its limitations, participatory approaches can be a powerful tool for fostering inclusive and sustainable development, subject to carefully designing, implementation, and continuous evaluation of the initiatives undertaken.
Presenters
Hidayat Ullah KhanAssociate Professor, Economics, National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
PARTICIPATORY APPROACH, EFFECTIVENESS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY-BASED DEVELOPMENT, PAKISTAN
