Abstract

This study aims to discuss the negative implications of the narrow scope adopted by many donor agencies when addressing sustainability for development projects implemented in developing countries. This has resulted in a very limited impact when it comes to official development assistance (ODA). The study explores the main challenges facing the sustainability of local community development projects in specific; explores attempts to address those challenges; and then presents a more sustainable approach that is based on robust financial and institutional pillars. It argues that the introduction of such pillars creates a new approach to local community development projects that enhance their sustainability. The methodology adopted to prove this hypothesis depended on two case studies for two development projects in Egypt; The Green Corridor Project undertaken by the Italian Development Cooperation Agency, and The High Dam Lake Area Project implemented jointly by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation and the World Food Program (WFP). Through those case studies, a comparative analysis was conducted to examine how those financial and institutional pillars have affected the sustainability of the former project where they were introduced vis-à-vis the latter where ignoring those aspects prevented this project from becoming sustainable. The study was able to reveal how donor agencies tend to deal with sustainable development as a fixed objective, rather than address its dynamic features. This is what the study introduces through an approach to local community development that sets in place immune structures resembled in robust local community institutions, in addition to enhancing local capacities that enable the community to handle their resources in a manner that allows them to explore various sustainable livelihoods options in pursuit of their own development.

Department

Political Science Department

Degree Name

MA in Political Science

Graduation Date

6-1-2012

Submission Date

May 2012

First Advisor

ElNur, Ibrahim

Extent

NA

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Library of Congress Subject Heading 1

Sustaible development -- Developing countries.

Library of Congress Subject Heading 2

Sustaible development -- Developing countries -- Case studies.

Rights

The author retains all rights with regard to copyright. The author certifies that written permission from the owner(s) of third-party copyrighted matter included in the thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study has been obtained. The author further certifies that IRB approval has been obtained for this thesis, or that IRB approval is not necessary for this thesis. Insofar as this thesis, dissertation, paper, or record of study is an educational record as defined in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 USC 1232g), the author has granted consent to disclosure of it to anyone who requests a copy.

Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval

Approval has been obtained for this item

Download

Share

COinS