Alex M Thomas
M Phil Economics
University of Hyderabad &
LSS Graduate, Cochin, 2008

Common property resources (CPRs) refer to all those resources which are held or used in common. These include natural resources such as land, water, forests, fisheries, etc. Village pastures, grazing grounds, village forests, protected and unclassed government forests, waste land, common threshing grounds, watershed drainage, ponds, tanks, rivers, water reservoirs, canals and irrigation channels are some of the CPRs in rural India. According to the 54th NSS round, the percentage of common property land resources in the total geographical area of India is around 15 per cent.

CPRs supply the local people with firewood, irrigation and provide grazing lands for livestock rearing. They are an important means of livelihood, especially to the rural populace. They contribute both directly and indirectly to the growth of agriculture as well as to economic growth, without adversely affecting the quality of the environment. Though CPRs play a very important role in the socio-economic lives of the rural populace, their rights are being constantly threatened by the expansion of the state as well as the market. Earlier, these CPRs were mainly managed by the local communities. A large proportion of the CPRs in India were also destroyed during the colonial period.

Economists are interested in pointing out avenues which increase production as well as productivity. At present, the focus is on technical progress. Though, in recent years, this agenda has received stiff resistance from various quarters. The resistance demands sustainable growth/development. It is here that CPRs aid economists. The study of CPRs offers insights into different facets of economic and political governance. They throw up alternatives in the domain of economic governance, technology, sustainability, etc. Elinor Ostrom, the Nobel Prize winner in Economics in 2009 showed in her book Governing the Commons those different CPRs are managed/governed in distinct ways. CPRs inform us about alternative arrangements to achieve sustainability. One of their main lessons is that no arrangement is good for all and at all times. They also teach us that intervention from the state or by the market is not always necessary.

Two issues pertaining to CPRs will be highlighted in this essay. The first deals with the sustainability of technology in the context of CPRs. The second issue is about the role of customary law in the management of CPRs. The latter issue will thus highlight the role of institutions for sustainable development. Customary laws have in fact prevented the over use of common property for years.

In tribal communities like Mundurans and others, fishing is carried out in an interesting and environment friendly manner. The leaves of a particular plant are made into a paste, which is then dissolved in the ponds and rivulets. On dissolving, it stupefies the fish for a while. During this period the fisher folk catch the adult fish. [Rao 2008] This is in stark contrast to what is happening to the Hilsa fish in West Bengal. Both adult and young Hilsa are being trapped in the fishing nets, because the pores of these 'modern' fishing nets are very small. This adversely affects the availability of Hilsa fish in the future and this also constrains the growth of these fishes.

The utilization of the CPRs is  often carried out with the aid of the local environment – availability of plants and animals, social structure and so on. This makes the local practices environmentally sustainable. The above instance seems to point out a trade-off between using indigenous technology and 'modern' technology. For, the use of modern technology certainly results in more output, though at the cost of the environment. Whereas, indigenously created technologies seem more sustainable in the long run.

The outcomes of the mechanisms operating in these CPRs are contrary to what is suggested by the literature - tragedy of the commons. In ancient India, various ways and means evolved which maintained the carrying capacity of the grazing lands. The Himalayan region saw the development of an institution known as 'van panchayat' in order to preserve their forests. And among a certain fishing community in Kerala, a customary law operated. This law divided the fishermen into categories such as Monday fishermen, Tuesday fishermen, etc. The rights to fish were restricted to different days of the week to prevent over fishing. [Kadekodi 2004]

These instances point out that the individuals who use CPRs are not self-interested utility maximizers. On the contrary, these cases point out their cooperative behaviour coupled with their environmental consciousness.

Thus, CPRs perform the role of a significant resource in the lives of Indians in the rural areas. However, with time, their rights are being curtailed. This is not only directly affecting their livelihood, but they are also adversely affecting the environment as some of the cases suggest. CPRs provide alternatives to achieve sustainable growth through its 'highly efficient' usage of both institutions as well as technology. Also, CPRs seem to provide hope that after all, sustainable development is possible. And, perhaps, it had been taking place in the past!

References

• Kadekodi, Gopal K (2004), Common Property Resource Management: Reflections on the Theory and the Indian Experience, Oxford University Press.
• Rao, V M (2008), Indigenous Systems of Local People, in Indigenous Science and Technology for Sustainable Development, ed. V Subramanyam, Rawat Publications.