in Niger and Madagascar, decentralised management of natural resources cannot be understood without first restoring the legal framework in which it is carried out. The purpose of this article is to lay down the legal and regulatory context for the implementation of national land and forestry policies in the context of decentralisation, which affects both countries. The aim is to highlight the institutional elements which, depending on the case, may encourage or hinder the introduction of transfers of management of renewable natural resources from the State to the local population.