Using multi-disciplinary approaches to common property regimes

The topic of common property natural resources – and the tenurial regimes that come to be regarded as suitable alternatives for the purposes of accelerated growth – is critical to the practical work on development projects, primarily in agriculture, forestry, or fisheries. The job of designing or appraising such projects is a matter of complex craftsmanship. Central to this process are not only the technical and financial skills, but also a conceptual understanding of the socio-economic and cultural fabric within which individuals use and/or abuse their ecosystem.

Hardin's 'Tragedy of the Commons' model predicts the eventual overexploitation or degradation of all resources used in common. Given this unambiguous prediction, a surprising number of cases exist in which users have been able to restrict access to the resource and establish rules among themselves for its sustainable use. Evidence accumulated over the last twenty-two years indicates that private, state, and communal property are all potentially viable resource management options. A more complete theory than Hardin's should incorporate institutional arrangements and cultural factors to provide for better analysis and prediction.