Analysing Equity in Common Property Resource Management

Common Property Resource (CPR) management plays an important role in efficient use, equitable allocation and sustainable conservation, which does not lead to a 'tragedy of commons'. However, the studies on CPR management have questioned the equity outcomes. This paper reviews the analytical frameworks, equity in terms of both procedural and distributional aspects, and attributes conditioning CPR management. The analytical frameworks conceptualise CPR management as the pattern of interaction which are conditioned by the technical and physical attributes of the resource, the decision making arrangements between the resource users. This interaction produces a certain outcome in terms of costs and benefits for the resource users, differences in their interests and in terms of efficiency and equity of resource use. The review reveals that resources are heterogeneous in terms of species diversity, use and exchange values guided by interests from the local to central levels. The communities are heterogeneous in terms of class, caste/ethnicity, gender, their power relation, norms, values, access to resource. The paper concludes that CPR management should be contextualized to heterogeneous resource and socio-political setting of the community for crafting institution that facilitate equitable decision making processes and distribution of benefits to all segments of the community. Understanding the concepts and issues on CPR management has implications to policies, strategies and programmes to ensure sustainable CPR management.