The greening of poverty reduction strategy papers: a process approach to sustainability assessment

Abstract

Despite their alleged comprehensiveness and the many linkages between poverty and environment, most poverty reduction strategy papers have until now insufficiently acknowledged the importance of environmental sustainability. To tackle this shortcoming, participative processes were initiated to ‘green’ PRSPs (meaning the integration of environmental sustainability as a cross-cutting issue). This supposes a process approach to decision-making and implies opening up the policy process to a wide range of societal actors. This approach is conceptualised as a sustainability assessment. A descriptive analysis of the Benin PRSP-greening initiative is presented, based on interviews and on literature research. Subsequently, issues of importance in appreciating the wider impact of PRSP-greening are suggested. Besides the quality improvements of the PRSP, greening contributes to a gradual change in the way decision-making is perceived and contributes to social learning. Furthermore, it is a promising approach that contributes to the institutionalisation of environmental sustainability in Africa.