Coastal regions across India and especially in Karnataka face numerous challenges from blue economic expansions, erratic weather, competition in the sea, and coastal erosion. These, especially impact the small-scale fisher men and women disproportionately. Expansion of ports, harbors, Marine Protected Areas, eco-tourism, hotels and resorts etc., directly impact the small-scale fishers shrinking their space of activities. Coastal erosion leads to loss of space that was traditionally used for fish drying activities and dwellings. Competition with the ever growing large-scale fishers has reduced the per capita availability of fish impacting the livelihood of the small-scale fishers. Shift in fish utilization towards fishmeal industry has led to less availability of fish for the women engaged in fish processing and trading activities. In addition, coastal aquaculture, cage culture in the estuaries further shrink the commons favoring the private interest. Amidst these dispossessions, how do the coastal communities respond to the changing scenario is an inquisitive question. In this presentation, through the field engagement in a few select villages of coastal Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, India we intend to explore and present how communities view these changes; how to they respond to such changes; and how does stewardship play any role in collective response of the community to mitigate such challenges.
This paper systematically reviews the literature on commoning across all fields and sectors. The systematic analysis examines over 560 peer-reviewed journal articles that explicitly use the term ‘commoning’ in the title, abstract or keywords. Each title and abstract was screened to ensure that each article fit the scope of the project, which enabled a full text analysis of each. In doing so, we examine the spectrum of definitions, narratives, contexts and concepts associated with research on commoning. Furthermore, we examine the logical arguments and empirical support for the transformative potential of commoning as a form of social organization, collective action and mechanism for structural reorganization of social and economic life towards sustainability. In the discussion we reflect on the term’s diversity of meanings and uses, as well as directions forward within a diversifying body of literature.
While various incentive-based mechanisms for nature conservation such as Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) have emerged as the most sought-after top-down mechanisms, these approaches often perpetuate existing power hierarchies by overlooking local governance structures and community participation. This paper investigates the implementation and outcomes of community-based PES schemes in Meghalaya, India, in relation to conservation of community forests. The study analyses outcomes when communities participate in resource management decisions, focusing on conservation results and benefit distribution patterns. Identifying several factors that influence programme implementation, including institutional structures, financial management systems and participation mechanisms, the case study explores the interactions between forest conservation, socio-economic development and cultural practices in the context of community-based PES. Drawing from these findings, the paper evaluates different approaches to PES implementation and presents policy considerations regarding community involvement in the stewardship of shared natural resources. The analysis examines both opportunities and challenges in current community-based PES initiatives, discussing factors that may affect their long-term viability and outcomes.
Keywords: Payment for Ecosystem Services, Community Conservation, Environmental Governance, Sustainable Development Goals, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, India
Community-based monitoring (CBM)– programs that integrate community members and their values into biodiversity and/or natural resource monitoring– is an effective tool for conservation. Wide inequities exist in CBM collaboration, and monitoring abilities may vary between collaborators of different backgrounds. Therefore exploring the demographic composition of CBM collaborators, and how demographics shape individual monitoring efficacy, can help improve both diversity in CBM representation and program outcomes. Yet, few studies have focused on CBM collaborator demographics, especially in low-income countries. We implemented a CBM project co-designed by protected area managers and local community members in the geographically, biologically, and culturally diverse Southern Madagascar. The project involved 27 scientists and 83 community members who collectively generated 69,429 observations of birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles across two years (2917 surveys). Using linear regressions and mixed-effects models, we examined how collaborators' demographics (gender, age, and level of formal education) and their prior amount of biological monitoring experience impacted their efficacy, measured as the number of observed species. For both scientists and community members, monitoring teams with women, despite being underrepresented, on average observed more species than male-only teams. Among community members, age and level of formal education had smaller positive effects on efficacy. Our results suggest that CBM projects should actively engage a broad array of community members, including those with marginalized identities, to provide diverse perspectives. Inclusive initiatives offer both tangible (lower project costs) and intangible (community engagement, education, and enhanced collaboration) benefits for local communities and conservation managers alike.
This study investigates the impact of individual and community social capital (SC) on individual behavior and group dynamics in a series of public goods games conducted in three urban slums in Bangladesh. These slums were part of a development project introducing WASH facilities through a participatory process, with each community actively involved in selecting and managing specific resources such as drinking water facilities and community toilets. After installation, hygiene conditions varied across community toilets: one community achieved successful maintenance, while others did not meet anticipated standards.
Three groups from each slum—a total of nine groups, each consisting of 6 to 10 participants—participated in ten rounds of the game. Prior to the experiment, a questionnaire survey was conducted to assess SC using standard SC questions, social network analysis indicators, and adherence to social norms, with the latter evaluated through behavioral game theory questions on altruism, trust, and reciprocity. By triangulating community members’ SC, the foundations of communities’ SC were also assessed. The groups for the game experiments were categorized as village committees, popular women’s groups, and popular men’s groups, with popularity determined by social network centrality measures.
We employ Dynamic Structural Equation Modeling (DSEM) to analyze both the static and dynamic effects of individual and community SC on participants' contribution behaviors over time, collective dynamics within each group, and their associations with real-world WASH outcomes. DSEM enables us to assess dynamic causal relationships and feedback loops across repeated interactions. Thus, this study examines how individual and community SC influence cooperative behaviors.
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