Rural Development, Natural Resources and the Environment: Lessons of Experience in Eastern Europe and Central Asia

"Many of the irrigation systems in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union have been shut down because of problems related to organizational requirements, the supply of energy, land ownership, profitability, cost, agricultural marketing problems, and external and internal strife." Improving the relative inefficiency of agriculture and protection of the natural environment are two of the most important challenges facing the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Central and Eastern Europe. This volume documents the development experience in rural, natural resources and environment projects, and research and technical assistance activities in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region. This experience has varied widely between sectors and between countries. However, certain lessons learned should inform future activities in the same sectors. Some of the most important findings for these economies include the importance of institutional capacity to sustain reforms, the value of facilitating local participation to increase the sustainability of development programs, and the requirements for fostering a dialog between stakeholders, including the private sector.