The Economics of Common Pool Resources

The paper analyses open access and common property resource systems drawing insights from new institutional economics, especially property rights theory and policy analysis. This analysis of common pool resources (CPRs) under common property regimes indicates that local communities devise formal and informal institutions in managing the local commons. The paper further discusses how N. S. Jodha’s empirical work on the economics of CPRs has enhanced our understanding of the role of CPRs in the livelihood strategies of the poor in the developing world. Devolution of authority to local resource users is emphasized as an institutional imperative in designing appropriate forms of governance structures for CPR management.

Rights and rents in local commons

Motivated by management problems in national fisheries, we examine management of renewable resources in local or regional commons. This paper suggests that property rights, or lack thereof, be replaced by well-defined user rights. It shows that the use of commons can be conditioned, paid for, or valued, via market mechanisms. To that end, direct deals and double auctions are expedient. Either institution can distribute, restore and secure resource rent. Either can also focalize debates as to which assignments, regulations or taxation of rights might be fair or legitimate.

Pastoralists’ Herding Strategies and Camp Selection in the Local Commons—A Case Study of Pastoral Societies in Mongolia

Local commons are underutilized in resource management models, thus limiting the effectiveness of the commons concept. This study examined the actual situation of the local commons in Altanbulag soum, a suburb of Ulaanbaatar City, Mongolia, where land degradation is a concern, using the case study method. Interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with pastoralists. It investigated land use and pastoralists’ relationships to open-access summer pastures, summer camp selection, grazing practice, and acceptance of migrants. The study concludes that herders in Altanbulag select their summer camp locations considering four elements: attachment to the place, territorial bonding, convenient environment, and winter camp safety. We also defined four types of herding strategies that identify the positive and negative aspects of local commons. The study suggests a potential gap between the community-based resource management promoted by international donors and the actual practices around local commons. It also highlights the need for further research into assessing local commons.

Heterogeneity, trust and common-pool resource management

Increasing migration, leading to more heterogeneous societies, may challenge the successful management of common-pool resources (CPRs) directly due to the lack of shared interests, and indirectly by reducing trust amongst local commons users, speeding up depletion of vital natural and man-made resources. Since little research has been done on this topic, we analyse the relation between economic and sociocultural heterogeneity, trust and successful commons management for fisheries and irrigation systems. Using multiple imputations with chained equations, random forests and predictive mean matching, we adopt an innovative and technically advanced approach to employ Elinor Ostrom’s famous CPR Database. Our approach enables us to include economic and sociocultural heterogeneity, trust and control variables in one model and to investigate both direct and indirect effects of heterogeneity on CPR success, which has not been attempted before. Results show no evidence of the negative relation between heterogeneity and CPR success. However, economic heterogeneity is negatively related to trust, and trust is found to be positively related to CPR success. Evidence is found for an indirect effect of economic heterogeneity through trust on CPR success.

Ecological masculinities: a response to societal crisises of our time

The present article is concerned with the nexus of masculinities and environment. The authors present their critical analyses of two configurations of masculinities the authors refer to as ‘industrial/breadwinner’ and ‘ecomodern’ masculinities that dominate politics worldwide. The authors stated their opinion on the fact that the first two configurations of masculinities are acutely but distinctly in conflict with the wellbeing of the planet. The paper presents an empirical and theoretical analysis of ‘ecological masculinities’, which considers the insights and limitations of masculinities studies, deep ecology, ecological feminism and feminist care theory. In this article, the authors focus their attention on the necessity of ecologisation of masculinities as well as on the need for men and masculinities to ‘ecologise’ relationally and create more caring encounters with self and others. In support of the need in a transition from hegemonisation to ecologisation, necessary configurations beyond the constraints of industrial/breadwinner and ecomodern masculinities are presented. The authors also argue that the potential to expose and resolve the anthropocentric discord between Earth, others and human beings is possible within the very constructs of manhood. The notion of ecological masculinities suggested in the article is a constructive response to the roles of men and masculine identities in the Anthropocene. The exit politics central to the notion of ecological masculinities represent a theoretical framework and plurality of practices reflective of a masculine ecologisation process. The authors encourage scholarly masculinities inquiries and practices towards broader, deeper and wider care for the ‘glocal’ (global and local) commons.

Sustaining Southeast Asia’s Forests: Community, Institution and Forest Governance in Thailand

The article examines the process of community’s involvement in protection and management of its local forests resources in Thailand. It attempts to examine the role played by the institution in providing a sustainable solution to the problems of deforestation and forest degradation. The article is based upon qualitative data gathered from three cases of community forest management (CFM) from Kanchanaburi, Lampang and Lamphun provinces of Thailand. The analysis is based on Elinor Ostrom’s framework of Institutional Analysis and Development, and empirically examines the rule configurations associated with sustainable governance of local commons resources. The article highlights that along with a robust institutional design at the local level, two other factors such as availability of external assistance and legal backup by the state, create favourable conditions which enhance the institutional performance in commons governance.