Governing the Commons
... In response, various levels of government intervened Self-governance and adaptive governance of the commons tackle the challenges of overuse and under-provision at the community level primarily through H-coordination, particularly in terms of social capital. Self-governance involves collaborative efforts by commons users to craft rules and coordinate behaviors horizontally, effectively overcoming the dual dilemmas of resource system provision and resource unit appropriation (Ostrom 1990, Villamayor-Tomas 2018. Ostrom's (1990) eight design principles serve as valuable guidelines for crafting rules that resolve these dilemmas. ...
... Self-governance involves collaborative efforts by commons users to craft rules and coordinate behaviors horizontally, effectively overcoming the dual dilemmas of resource system provision and resource unit appropriation (Ostrom 1990, Villamayor-Tomas 2018. Ostrom's (1990) eight design principles serve as valuable guidelines for crafting rules that resolve these dilemmas. The process of rule-crafting and enforcement both require H-coordination among resource users. ...
... Step 1: Our bottom-up analysis is guided by North's (1990) theory of institutional change, which helps examine the transition process, focusing on the regime shift from community-led governance to state-reinforced adaptive governance in response to drought. Additionally, we draw on Ostrom's (1990) design principles to understand the dynamics of rule changes, particularly at the community level. These guiding theories informed our identification of key themes related to governance evolution and the adaptation of local institutions to environmental stressors. ...
... We address this question conceptually and empirically by examining ongoing decentralized irrigation management reforms in Ghana. These systems often exhibit closed-access commonpool resource (CPR) characteristics, with highly subtractable resource units (irrigation water) and low-excludability of resource users (e.g., farmers), often leading to excessive appropriation of the irrigation water and difficulty in getting resource users to contribute to the operation and maintenance of the irrigation system (Ostrom 1990, Ostrom et al. 1994. The institutional design of decentralized governance arrangements for these irrigation systems remains a critical factor in addressing these challenges of over-appropriation and unwillingness to contribute to the provision of irrigation systems. ...
... Similarly, Hassan et al. (2014) employed the institutional decomposition and analysis (IDA) framework (Blomquist et al. 2005, Dinar et al. 2007, which draws insights from literature on decentralized natural resource management (Ostrom 1990, 1993, Easter 2000, Agrawal 2001, Agrawal and Ostrom 2001. Here, the IDA schema was adapted and used to evaluate decentralized initiatives within water basins in South Africa, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe focusing on five parameters: contextual factor and initial conditions, characteristics of the basin's decentralization process, characteristics of central government and basin-level relationships and capacities, internal configurations of basin-level institutional arrangements, and attributes of the basin. ...
... Authority refers to whether actors (e.g., users of natural resources) are sufficiently empowered to make and implement decisions in carrying out their functions, particularly related to addressing their key challenges (socialecological dilemmas). The authority principle signals the internal capacity of users to make and implement decisions (semi) autonomously, a foundational requirement for actors to govern themselves (Ostrom 1990, 2010, DeCaro and Stokes 2008. For instance, WUAs in South Africa are vested with powers to curb unlawful water use and decide and implement water and environmental conservation measures (Madigele 2018). ...
The prospects and challenges of decentralized irrigation governance reforms are widely discussed. Less discussed, however, is the institutional design of these reforms and how and why it matters to our diagnosis of their successes or otherwise. We used and tested the state-reinforced self-governance (SRSG) framework to examine the institutional design of Ghana’s decentralized irrigation reform and whether self-governance capacities were granted to irrigators or water users associations (WUAs). We focused on the Kpong Irrigation Scheme (KIS) as our case study, surveying and interviewing water users/farmers, leaders of WUAs, and other stakeholders with knowledge and experience about the decentralized irrigation reform. We also analyzed the contents of key policy/regulatory documents for managing the decentralized irrigation scheme. Our analysis suggests that irrigation reform successfully transferred
authority and responsibility capacities to WUAs, including authorities for rule making, collective choice procedures, enforcement and sanctioning, and responsibilities to maintain and operate lateral canals and sub-drainage systems, ensure equity in decisions and water allocation, and resolve disputes among WUA members. We also found that the regulations (rules-in-form) granted WUAs the fiscal mandates and autonomy for self-sufficiency, but this goal is threatened by two issues. First, the WUAs struggle to raise revenue from members who are mostly low-income farmers experiencing low farm yields, low farmgate prices, and rising farm costs. Second, the WUAs continue to (over)rely on their government supervisory authority to mobilize revenue, risking the possibility of recentralizing fiscal control in the supervisory authority and not tackling the core issues impacting farmers’ fiscal well-being. We conclude by reflecting
on the implications of our findings for understanding institutional designs in state-mandated decentralized irrigation reforms,
particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
... This study is anchored on the Commons theory, a framework developed by Elinor Ostrom to understand the complexities of managing shared resources (Ostrom, 1990). Commons Theory challenges the traditional "Tragedy of the Commons" narrative, which suggests that individuals, acting independently and out of self-interest, will inevitably deplete shared resources, leading to resource collapse (Hardin, 1968, p.1). Ostrom's work refutes this deterministic view, positing that communities can manage common-pool resources (CPRs) sustainably by establishing shared norms, rules, and governance structures tailored to their contexts (Ostrom, 1990). ...
... This study is anchored on the Commons theory, a framework developed by Elinor Ostrom to understand the complexities of managing shared resources (Ostrom, 1990). Commons Theory challenges the traditional "Tragedy of the Commons" narrative, which suggests that individuals, acting independently and out of self-interest, will inevitably deplete shared resources, leading to resource collapse (Hardin, 1968, p.1). Ostrom's work refutes this deterministic view, positing that communities can manage common-pool resources (CPRs) sustainably by establishing shared norms, rules, and governance structures tailored to their contexts (Ostrom, 1990). This study applies CT to the Black Volta River (BVR) corridor, exploring how farmers, pastoralists, and conservationists interact within a shared resource system and how rules, access rights, and governance practices shape these interactions. ...
... This study applies CT to the Black Volta River (BVR) corridor, exploring how farmers, pastoralists, and conservationists interact within a shared resource system and how rules, access rights, and governance practices shape these interactions. Ostrom (1990) argues that shared resources, such as the BVR corridor, can be managed sustainably through collective action and community-led governance rather than top-down, centralized controls. This principle is particularly relevant for this study, as it examines how the interactions and shared governance efforts among farmers, pastoralists, and conservationists influence local and regional conflict dynamics and resource sustainability. ...
Resource conflicts are common in low and middle-income developing countries, often due to competing demands for land, water, forest, wildlife, and minerals. In northern Ghana, long-lasting socioeconomic neglect, extreme climate stressors, rapid population growth, and increasing pressure on natural resources have intensified common resource-user conflicts. Utilizing the tragedy of the commons and the commons theories’ perspectives, this study examined conflicting interests among critical stakeholders, including local conservationists (Community Resource Management Areas [CREMAs] leadership), smallholder farmers, and pastoralist/herders along the Black Volta River corridor in Ghana’s Upper West Region. The goal was to identify the drivers of a three-way resource-user conflict and propose sustainable, localized solutions. This study utilized a qualitative approach. The results from transect walks and focus group discussions with the conflict stakeholders show that competition for land and water resources, encroachment into conserved areas, and misunderstandings about land use practices are the leading underlying causes. Pastoralists expressed concerns over restricted access to water sources and grazing lands, while smallholder farmers highlighted crop damage and resource competition. Local conservationists reported challenges in reconciling the demands of livelihoods with ecosystem conservation. Stakeholders proposed solutions such as establishing clear resource boundaries, enhancing communication channels, implementing joint resource management approaches, and integrating sustainable practices in pastoralism and agriculture to address existing conflicts and promote sustainable resource governance in the region amidst escalating climate change. Ultimately, I argue that a collaborative approach to resource management and conflict resolution is necessary, shifting from an individualistic “selfish” mindset to a more collective system.
... Community-based approaches that involve local knowledge holders can enhance the relevance and acceptance of soil management practices. 146,147 By fostering collaboration between communities, researchers, and policymakers, it is possible to develop strategies that honor traditional knowledge while addressing modern agricultural needs. ...
Soil management is a crucial aspect of sustainable agriculture, and traditional knowledge has played a pivotal role in shaping practices that maintain soil health over time. This study examines the significance of traditional soil management techniques used in Uttar Pradesh, India, and assesses their effectiveness in addressing modern agricultural challenges. The primary objective of this analysis is to investigate how indigenous practices, such as crop rotation, intercropping, organic manure application, and traditional water conservation techniques, contribute to soil fertility and sustainability. By examining these traditional methods, the study aims to assess their potential for integration with contemporary agricultural practices to enhance overall soil health and agricultural productivity. A comprehensive analysis of existing literature was conducted to synthesize findings from various studies on traditional soil management practices in Uttar Pradesh. The analysis highlights the mechanisms by which these practices affect soil properties and fertility and identifies the strengths and limitations associated with their use. The findings reveal that traditional methods offer significant benefits, including enhanced soil structure, improved nutrient availability, and increased moisture retention. However, challenges such as limited adoption of modern technologies and varying regional practices are also noted. The integration of traditional knowledge with modern techniques is evaluated as a means to address these challenges and optimize soil management strategies. This analysis bridges the gap between traditional knowledge and contemporary agricultural practices, providing valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners. The study underscores the importance of integrating traditional soil management practices with modern approaches to foster sustainable agriculture in Uttar Pradesh and similar regions.
... From methodological point of view (Terziev, 2024), we followed the ideas of Nobel Prize in economic science laureates: a) Angus Deaton -individual choice could not be explained by aggregated indicators (Deaton, 1992), b) Elinor Ostrom -there are advantages to use mostly typical cases rather than a statistically representative sample (Ostrom, 1990) and c) Oliver Williamson -qualitative comparative analysis instead of traditional mathematical applications (Williamson, 1996). In the first stage of our study, (North, 1990, p.3). ...
This book is a result of the long-term collaboration of scholars between leading Bulgarian academic institutions with Shanghai Jiao Thong Univercity in China (https://china-bg-center.alle.bg/). The accelerating pace of climate change has rendered rural regions-often marginalized in global discourse-among the most vulnerable yet critical frontiers for adaptation. Adapting to the Future: Climate Risks and Resilience in Rural Bulgaria Insights from CMIP6 Projections emerges as an examination of these challenges, offering a blueprint for resilience that transcends national borders while grounding its analysis in the socioecological fabric of Bulgaria’s countryside. The book synthesizes climate science, socioeconomic vulnerability assessments, and policy critiques to bridge the gap between global climate models and localized adaptation strategies. Its significance lies not only in its empirical contributions but also in its methodological innovations, which redefine how scholars and practitioners approach rural resilience.
... Institutional complexity, particularly coordination difficulties between levels of government and sectors, further exacerbates these challenges. This aligns with institutional theory's emphasis on the importance of clear regulatory structures, inter-organizational coordination, and overcoming "silos" (Ostrom, 1990) for effective governance. It also speaks to challenges highlighted in the network governance literature (Castells, 1996) that arise from coordinating across multiple, interdependent actors. ...
This research analyzes governance and public participation in infrastructure megaprojects in Indonesia, exemplified by MRT Jakarta and Trans-Java Toll Road, by comparing national practices with international benchmarks. Despite the increasing body of literature on megaproject challenges and governance, a significant research gap exists in the integrated analysis of governance models and public participation strategies specifically within the Indonesian context, characterized by unique socio-cultural dynamics and developmental stage. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the effectiveness of implemented governance and public participation models in Indonesia, comparing them with international best practices identified through case study analysis. Megaprojects in Indonesia frequently face challenges including cost overruns, schedule delays, social conflicts, and significant social, environmental, and economic impacts. The study employs a literature review and international case analysis to explore governance models, such as Public-Private Partnership (PPP), and inclusive public participation approaches. The findings reveal that transparent, accountable governance, deeply involving communities from project inception, significantly enhances public acceptance and project sustainability. Comparative analysis provides insights for adapting global best practices to Indonesia. Strategic recommendations encompass financing innovations, digital technology utilization, and a holistic approach considering a full spectrum of impacts. This study contributes to both theory and practice by introducing an integrated analytical framework for participatory and sustainable megaproject governance in Indonesia. Practically, the framework offers a structured approach for policymakers and project implementers to assess and enhance governance and public participation mechanisms, ultimately aiming to improve megaproject effectiveness and contribute to sustainable development legacies for future generations. ABSTRAK Penelitian ini menganalisis tata kelola dan partisipasi publik dalam pembangunan megaproyek infrastruktur di Indonesia, contohnya MRT Jakarta dan Jalan Tol Trans-Jawa. Analisis dilakukan dengan membandingkan praktik di Indonesia dengan standar internasional. Walaupun sudah banyak penelitian tentang masalah dan tata kelola megaproyek, masih ada celah penelitian penting, yaitu kurangnya kajian mendalam yang menggabungkan analisis tata kelola dan strategi partisipasi publik, khususnya di Indonesia yang punya keunikan budaya dan tahap pembangunan tersendiri. Penelitian ini mengisi celah tersebut dengan mengevaluasi efektivitas model tata kelola dan partisipasi publik yang diterapkan di Indonesia, lalu membandingkannya dengan praktik terbaik dari negara lain. Megaproyek di Indonesia sering menghadapi masalah seperti biaya membengkak, jadwal molor, konflik sosial, serta dampak sosial, lingkungan, dan ekonomi yang besar. Penelitian ini menggunakan studi literatur dan analisis kasus internasional untuk mempelajari berbagai model tata kelola, misalnya Kemitraan Pemerintah-Swasta (KPS), dan cara meningkatkan partisipasi publik dengan lebih melibatkan masyarakat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tata kelola yang transparan, bertanggung jawab, dan melibatkan masyarakat sejak awal proyek, secara signifikan meningkatkan penerimaan publik dan keberlanjutan proyek. Perbandingan dengan kasus internasional memberikan ide untuk menerapkan praktik terbaik di Indonesia. Rekomendasi strategis meliputi inovasi pembiayaan, penggunaan teknologi digital, dan pendekatan menyeluruh yang mempertimbangkan semua jenis dampak. Penelitian ini memberikan sumbangan pada teori dan praktik dengan memperkenalkan kerangka kerja analitis terpadu untuk tata kelola megaproyek yang partisipatif dan berkelanjutan di Indonesia. Dalam praktiknya, kerangka kerja ini bisa menjadi panduan bagi pemerintah dan pelaksana proyek untuk menilai dan memperbaiki cara mereka mengelola tata kelola dan partisipasi publik, agar megaproyek lebih efektif dan memberikan warisan pembangunan yang berkelanjutan bagi generasi mendatang.
This study explores how water resources are managed in Tripoli, Lebanon, through a theoretical paradigm centered on everyday goods. It addresses the contemporary challenges of water governance, particularly in the context of sustainable development, as the city grapples with issues like water scarcity and climate change. The research adopted a survey methodology to compile data from 300 participants across various regions. Among other things, it emerged that there are a variety of key factors influencing the efficiency of water management: the legitimacy of institutions, strong control mechanisms, and active participation from the community at large. The results reveal the important role of local governance and community engagement in the sustainable management of water resources.
Business collective action (BCA) has long been a topic of interest to management scholars. However, our theoretical understanding of this important phenomenon has been hindered by its fragmented development in the literature. To address this shortcoming, we conduct a comprehensive review of BCA across a wide range of disciplines in management, including corporate political activity, private regulation, strategic management, and organizational institutionalism. Based on this review, we develop an integrative framework that identifies the triggers, outcomes, and internal political arrangements associated with BCA. In doing so, we help develop a common vocabulary that unites different market and non‐market forms of BCA, thus deepening our understanding of the role of business collective action in society.
As humanity transitions from spacefaring to space-dwelling, the international governance of outer space is becoming a defining challenge of the 21st and 22nd centuries. Drawing from realism, liberalism, and regime theory, the paper critically examines the inadequacies of current legal instruments. Scenario planning tools frame three divergent 2135 space futures-ranging from orbital empires to post-human constitutionalism. Ultimately, this research argues for a paradigm shift from conquest-based expansion to cooperative stewardship, positioning emerging powers and non-state actors as co-creators of an ethical, inclusive, and sustainable interplanetary order.
This study statistically classifies Korea’s communal fishing grounds (Maeul-Eojang) to inform tailored fisheries policy. We applied principal component analysis (PCA) to reduce 17 socio-economic and demographic indicators into five core factors, followed by K-means clustering to derive distinct types. The methodology was validated using Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin and Bartlett’s tests. Five communal fishery types were identified, ranging from well-managed, high-income communities to those in severe decline. The results show that about half of fishing communities fall into a “post-fishery” type with diminishing membership and income, while a quarter maintain robust fisheries through diversification. The typology is compared with previous fishing village classifications, and we discuss policy recommendations for each type—including co-management, tourism support, and targeted aid for declining communities. This research provides an empirical foundation for improving communal fisheries governance and sustaining coastal livelihoods.
This paper expands on the anthropocentric focus of the Self-Directed Flourishing (SDF) framework by introducing the Eco-Systemic Flourishing (ESF) framework. The primary contribution of the ESF is the integration of ecological systems thinking, place-based education, and regenerative learning into existing flourishing frameworks. Methodologi-cally, the paper synthesizes interdisciplinary perspectives from developmental psychology, systems theory and sustainability education and to propose a transformative educational approach. The results outline how the ESF framework positions education as a crucial driver for fostering relational awareness and ecological literacy, thus promoting both human and planetary flourishing. The framework's implications are significant, offering a scalable model for sustainability integration in educational systems, curriculum design, and policy development. Future empirical validation, through longitudinal studies, is recommended to evaluate ESF's effectiveness in enhancing educational outcomes and ecological stewardship.
Policy incoherence is an omnipresent challenge in public administration. Focusing on the joint implementation of the European Water Framework Directive and the Habitats Directive, we analyze how administrative fragmentation hampers river restoration projects at the sub-national level in Germany. By shifting the analytical focus to institutional and administrative factors, we reveal barriers at institutional, processual and individual levels. We find that the failure of river restoration projects stems not only from practical hurdles, such as lack of resources, information, or manpower, but also from more fundamental flaws in the administrative arrangements. Based on a multi-stakeholder consultation, we argue that both bottom-up and top-down approaches can support better coordination and a local mandate for joint implementation. In particular, state-level planning can help reduce local coordination costs in the short term. The analysis highlights the critical role of individual actors and leadership, reframing and cross-sectoral coordination for policy integration.
Collaborative governance is an emerging phenomenon through which governments nowadays are seeking to address today's societal challenges. Oftentimes, this requires governments to assume different roles and responsibilities. To unpack this multidimensionality, this study establishes an integrative framework distinguishing between a leading, linking and leveraging role, and accounting for institutional and actor‐level aspects. We clarify the analytical leverage of this framework through a plausibility probe comparing two collaborative processes in Canada and the Netherlands, focused on national climate policy processes. Our findings underscore the value of our framework, shed light on how institutional and political drivers shape collaborative roles of governments across political systems, and their collaborative abilities in the face of politicization.
This article discusses the reproduction of housing as a commons in São Paulo. It analyzes the occupation of vacant real estate properties and their subsequent transformation into low‐income housing in central São Paulo as instances of commoning. It examines the mechanisms through which housing commons are protected, with a particular focus on the mediating role of social movements and property claims. We draw on a combined methodology of participatory action research and semi‐structured interviews to explore the dynamics between the commons as a political ideal and its practical application in the urban environment, focusing on the long‐term sustainability of housing commons amid capitalist urbanization. Through the lens of two autonomous housing projects, Dandara and Marisa Letícia, we illustrate the transformation of occupied buildings into permanent housing through collective self‐management. We also consider the protection of housing as commons through five processes: regularization, restoration, integration, ideation and federation. Our analysis calls for further research into the potential for creating interconnected commons ecosystems.
The participatory processes used by local governments after a disaster are essential for successful community disaster recovery and integral to local land use and planning decisions. Within that process, disaster victims may hold privileged positions as narrators of policy conflicts due to the trust that officials place in these individuals. In 2021, Louisville, Colorado, adopted stringent green building codes with the intention of increasing the community's climate resilience. Shortly after these building codes were adopted, the Marshall Fire destroyed over 1000 homes in Boulder County, 550 of which were in Louisville, making this the most destructive fire in Colorado history. This paper uses the Narrative Policy Framework to understand how the content of narratives changed by comparing public comments before and after the Marshall Fire to understand the extent to which community support for climate‐resilient policies may shift after a disaster. We find support for the importance of narrator trust through the identification of the unique persuasive power of fire victim narrators. We use these findings to offer a potential pathway through which learning that appears normatively “bad” can occur after a disaster.
The manuscript discovers issues related to conserving forests and trees. While the role of the forest is glorified and highlighted in both literature and culture, what is important is how human beings maintain and protect it as an integral part of a healthy and well balanced eco-system. Deforestation is a burning issue today all over the world. Environmentally, sustainable development is inseparable from the way the forest with its impact on human life is treated rationally and pragmatically. In our own literature and culture that give meaning to life, the importance of the forest is recognized from many angles- religious, spiritual, social, cultural and emotional. A few instances would bear it out. Such is the aesthetic appeal of the forest that it is invariably felt and appreciated across the globe. It is, precisely speaking, indispensable for human existence. Usefulness of the forest can be realized and acknowledged only by respecting its laws not inconsistent with social norms and community ethos. People are indebted to the trees and forests for their relevance and contribution to the enrichment of human civilization as reflected in literature and culture. Besides, climatologists, in the context of climate change and its global repercussions such as floods, drought, landslides and rise in the level of the ocean threatening the very survival of low lying countries, have become increasingly conscious of the role that the woods play in shaping a safer world and making the planet earth a better place to live in. They are how the animated characters, who are found in myths and fairy tales, appeal to their narrative.
Recent work in strategy has examined how distinctive stakeholder engagement promotes value creation and appropriation, leading to a proposed “new stakeholder theory” (NST). In developing this new literature stream, strategy scholars have adopted an instrumental (performance-oriented) and predictive approach, thus abstracting from normative considerations informing how companies should approach their stakeholders. This paper maintains that NST should explicitly state its underpinning normative assumptions, even if it keeps its predictive focus, for four main reasons; theorists may want to rule out unacceptable managerial behavior (which may still be consistent with a value creation logic), define the criteria to set the boundaries on stakeholders’ claims (those included and especially, those excluded from the value creation process), specify the working definition of “value” (which may differ from the usual emphasis on economic value), and discuss the downstream managerial implications of the proposed theory. The paper concludes by suggesting how to incorporate such normative assumptions in NST as a first analytical stage to guide subsequent predictions or explanations. It also outlines how this effort can benefit strategy research in general in cases where the underlying theoretical mechanisms involve the presence and engagement of stakeholders.
In America and around the world, one’s chances for well-being depend on systems that are not yet built for everyone to thrive together. Knowing that life expectancy and life evaluation are far below their full potential, with stark injustices by race/ethnicity, we ask: how can the United States make a great stride toward multiracial well-being?. This study explores potential impacts of a federal plan for thriving people and places. We estimate the likely effects of 68 recommendations using ReThink Health’s Thriving Together Model (TTM), revised with new data and new features including a multisolving ratio that accounts for greater cost-effectiveness when a proposed action advances multiple goals at once. The TTM is a previously published system dynamics model that simulates changes over time when community assets (both funding and in-kind resources) are invested in four drivers of population well-being (i.e., Vital Conditions, Belonging and Civic Muscle, Fairness in System Design, and Urgent Services Capacity). All drivers work together through a dynamic structure that influences individual states of thriving, suffering, and life expectancy (overall and by race/ethnicity). The model specifies three reinforcing dynamics, including an “expanding the pie” loop that can increase available assets and improve all four well-being drivers over time. Results reveal a plausible scenario over 25 years in which thriving could rise 20 percentage points, suffering could drop 2.5 percentage points, and average life expectancy could grow by 2.6 years – all from equitable progress across racial/ethnic groups. Every subgroup improves, but the greatest gains would likely be among Black and Hispanic Americans. Sensitivity tests confirm that the model’s conclusions are robust across identified uncertainty ranges. The federal plan points the way toward a just transition for multiracial well-being. It does not require new appropriations or authorities: only the will and wherewithal to bring these recommendations to life.
Most large cities of the world's most affluent countries are increasingly unaffordable in ways that raise serious normative questions. The price of purchasing and renting housing is relatively high due to political constraints on supply. These constraints do not protect the normative interests of residents of these cities, and generate a system in which development that would be mutually beneficial is prohibited. I argue that rights over commonly used urban space have the same liberty‐based justification as traditional private property rights. And that assigning rights over the disposition of common space to those most local to it, to use, develop, or transfer as they collectively wish, would overcome the problem. It would do so by enabling an expansion of housing supply where it is most needed, but only through a procedure that ensures it will benefit local residents, by their own lights.
Mobile stalls, integral to the informal economy, play a significant role in the economic and social development of urban areas. Nevertheless, the temporary and unregulated nature of these stalls yields issues such as environmental pollution, food safety, and encroachment upon public spaces. Drawing on classified management theory and using Yiwu City as a case study, this research proposes a governance framework for mobile stalls that harmonizes social inclusivity with the maintenance of urban order through tailored governance strategies. The study suggests that by categorizing stalls based on region, type, and time. Governance efficiency can be enhanced, effectively reconciling the conflict between urban public space management and the livelihoods of vendors. This research offers novel insights for the governance of mobile stalls in Yiwu City and provides a reference for managing the informal economy in other urban contexts.
The competitiveness of rural tourism destinations holds significant implications not only for local livelihood sustainability and regional development but also for the preservation and continuity of human civilization. However, developing countries face a critical challenge where rural tourism destination competitiveness is being progressively undermined by the pervasive homogenization of tourism products. The existing literature demonstrates limited engagement with mitigation strategies for tourism product homogenization in examinations of rural destination competitiveness. This study conceptualizes tourism product homogenization as a manifestation of the tragedy of tourism commons, proposing that self-governance can foster rural tourism destination competitive advantages through resolving such collective action dilemmas. Employing a combined IAD-SES framework, the investigation analyzes interview data from Yuanjia Village in Shaanxi Province, China. The analysis delineates how self-governance dynamically enhances and sustains rural tourism destination competitiveness through four institutional mechanisms: provision rules, appropriation rules, monitoring protocols, and sanctioning systems. Furthermore, the findings reveal that the competitiveness driven by self-governance demonstrates the capacity to align individual interests with collective societal benefits. This research contributes to tourism scholarship by identifying novel institutional determinants of tourism destination competitiveness and proposing a policy framework for addressing product homogenization challenges throughout the rural tourism area life cycle.
With the advancement of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), residents’ green perception has become a key factor in driving green behavior and the implementation of environmental policies. However, due to differences in socio-economic environments, policy enforcement, and resource accessibility between urban and rural areas, residents’ levels of green perception exhibit significant regional disparities. Based on the Social Ecological Model, this study constructs an analytical framework encompassing the individual, social relationships, community, policy, and organizational levels to systematically explore the multi-level factors influencing urban and rural residents’ green perception. This study collects data through questionnaire surveys and employs Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to validate the relationships between variables at different levels. The findings indicate that residents’ green perception is influenced by multiple interacting factors, among which environmental knowledge and attitudes at the individual level, family support and social networks at the social relationship level, as well as community atmosphere and policy advocacy play particularly significant roles in enhancing green perception. Furthermore, there are distinct differences in the mechanisms of green perception formation between urban and rural residents; urban residents rely more on government policies and green infrastructure, whereas rural residents’ green perception is primarily influenced by community atmosphere and direct environmental experiences. This study deepens the understanding of urban–rural differences in green perception and their driving factors, providing region-specific policy recommendations to promote widespread green behavior, advance ecological civilization construction in both urban and rural areas, and facilitate the achievement of sustainable development goals.
Faced with growing environmental challenges, green entrepreneurship has emerged as a key solution for promoting sustainable waste management. In the Marrakech-Safi region, recycling cooperatives play a crucial role in structuring the circular economy, reducing ecological impact, and creating socioeconomic opportunities for local populations. However, their development is hindered by economic, institutional, and technical constraints. This study aims to identify the factors that facilitate the adoption of sustainable practices by recycling cooperatives, as well as the obstacles they encounter. A mixed-method approach was adopted, combining questionnaires administered to 15 cooperatives across different provinces in the region and in-depth interviews with their leaders and members. The data analysis involved validity and reliability tests, an analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Relative Importance Index (RII) method. A SWOT analysis was also conducted to assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The findings reveal that while cooperatives have generally integrated waste sorting practices, they struggle to implement advanced recycling techniques. The main challenges identified include a lack of funding, the absence of an incentive regulatory framework, and insufficient training. Leaders also highlight internal management difficulties, while members point to a lack of resources and technical support. Based on these insights, strategies are proposed, such as the implementation of tailored financing mechanisms, regulatory improvements, and citizen awareness initiatives. These findings provide strategic recommendations to strengthen the role of recycling cooperatives in the transition towards a sustainable circular economy.
Citation: Shemshad, M.; Synowiec, A.; Kopyra, M.; Benedek, Z. The Abstract: Ecosystem service (ES) frameworks help to assess the benefits ecosystems provide to society, yet weak governance integration often limits their effectiveness. This review critically examines major ES frameworks' governance gaps, introduces the Community-Driven Ecosystem Resilience and Equity framework (C-DERM), and identifies five key gaps. Thematic coding is applied to achieve research objectives. The analysis of ten ecosystem service models shows that when considering the five socio-ecological elements of ES based on C-DERM-including community engagement and participatory governance, integration of cultural values and local knowledge, dynamic adaptive feedback mechanisms, social equity and inclusion, and social resilience and long-term sustainability-only the IAD-SES model achieves a strong score (3) in community engagement, while SES and IAD-SES moderately (2) integrate cultural values and address resilience; however, most models exhibit weak (1) or absent (0) consideration of social equity and participatory governance, highlighting a critical gap in inclusivity and community-driven approaches within existing frameworks. Finally, C-DERM enhances the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) framework by embedding social considerations into ES assessments.
This chapter presents environmental, social, and governance (ESG) categories distilled from five major compliance standards and proposes a framework for assessing them across an organization’s strategic, tactical, and operational layers. The use of change management and participatory design approaches to facilitate the integration of ESG considerations into an organization’s decision-making processes is also investigated. This chapter explores ESG implementation through the lens of participatory design to identify opportunities for employees to contribute to an organization’s ESG strategy, across different organizational levels and functions. Results from a study conducted with a medium-sized global information technology company show the potential of participatory approaches for implementing ESG and highlight the importance of creating consensus and promoting open spaces for sharing information as the first step toward successful ESG implementation.
Fish biomass is the most widely used indicator of fish stock health. Stocks whose biomass is or has previously collapsed owing to overfishing, and the management systems built around them, may carry a memory of decline, even if biomass has recovered. This is because stock biomass as the main indicator of stock health does not represent all aspects of stock health and biomass can possibly become a weaker indicator of health after stock collapse. These latent weaknesses have been termed “ghosts of overfishing past”. Not accounting for ghosts can impact the speed of stock recovery and susceptibility to further collapses. This concept has been popularised by Professors Jeff Hutchings, Anna Kuparinen, and others. Ghosts are varied and can include changes in vital rates, phenotypic response, fish behaviour, and aspects of the human system such as institutional inertia, fisheries subsidies, and income portfolios. The presence of ghosts has implications for fisheries management: altering stock biomass objectives (dynamic reference points) may be appropriate for populations that have experienced collapse even if biomass has recovered. Ghosts should be considered when developing management strategies for populations that have previously experienced large declines.
The purpose of this paper is to open a series of discourse issues on the future of Intellectual Capital Reporting (ICR) modeling and how these would involve new aspects of what intellectual capital models in the future shall be conceived. It does, however, not (yet) provide a new ICR scheme.
Three economic reference models will be lined out to open the discussion: (1) the Degrowth (or post-growth) economy, (2) the Solidarity Economy, and (3) the Economy for the Common Good (ECG). Since the change towards a new economic model is argued to be near impossible under current circumstances, the governing capitalistic model—although a need for its replacement is claimed—will be assumed for further discourse in this paper.
The core subject then is on the insight that nature and its treatment, e.g. its regeneration, are accountable in the traditional sense, and this naturally has an impact on the modeling of future Intellectual Capital Reports.
A further new paradigmatic definition of the term “intellectual capital” is discovered when this capital is materialized in the form of artificially generated intelligent (AI) statements. The point is being made by debating the distinction between intellectual capital produced by humans from the intellectual capital produced by intelligent machines.
Despite debates about their effectiveness, forest carbon offsets are one of the most traded credits on the voluntary carbon market. Projects like REDD+ are often implemented in the lands of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Studies show that projects contribute to social conflict within and between participating communities, but little is known about how these conflicts unfold. This study aims to shed more light on the mechanisms that shape these conflicts through the lens of local institutional dynamics, namely community governance, elite capture, and transparency. Based on interviews conducted in 10 Indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon involved in four REDD+ projects, we found that projects are closely associated with elite capture, with local community and community association leaders dominating the decision-making processes. This fragments trust in leaders and undermines project legitimacy. Also, the prospect of carbon payments disrupts communities and triggers conflicts over their distribution. These effects are moderated by decision-making mechanisms and are exacerbated by transparency issues. Although focused on Indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon, our findings can inform similar contexts with autonomous community governance where REDD+ interventions are implemented.
Social institutions are systems of shared norms and rules that regulate people’s behaviors, often emerging without external enforcement. They provide criteria to distinguish cooperation from defection and establish rules to sustain cooperation, shaped through long-term trial and error. While principles for successful institutions have been proposed, the mechanisms underlying their emergence remain poorly understood. To address this, we introduce the evolutionary dynamical-systems game theory that couples game actions with environmental dynamics and explores the evolution of cognitive frameworks for decision-making. We analyze a minimal model of common-pool resource management, where resources grow naturally and are harvested. Players use decision-making functions to determine whether to harvest at each step, based on environmental and peer monitoring. After evolution, decision-making functions enable players to detect selfish harvesting and punish it by overharvesting, which degrades the environment. This process leads to the self-organization of norms that classify harvesting actions as cooperative, defective, or punitive. The emergent norms for “cooperativeness” and rules of punishment serve as institutions. The environmental and players’ states converge to distinct modes characterized by limit-cycle attractors, representing temporal regularities in socio-ecological systems. These modes remain stable despite slight variations in individual decision-making, illustrating the stability of institutions. We measure evolutionary robustness of decision-making functions, defined as the capacity to keep dominance against invasion. It is revealed that plasticity, the ability to adjust actions to cope with diverse opponents, allows for such robustness. This work introduces foundational concepts in evolutionary dynamical-systems games and elucidates the mechanisms underlying the self-organization of social institutions.
Over the last four decades, a broad stream of experimental literature has been published using the Common Pool Resource (CPR) game to study how people react to congestible resources, and how to keep such resources from socially harmful overexploitation. With the goal of providing guidance to future work on this still-important paradigm, we provide a narrative review of the literature, summarizing the results for several key aspects of the experimental operationalization. We classify these aspects into two broad categories. The first describes ‘environmental’ assumptions on the modeled resource problem itself. This refers to aspects of the experimental environment reflecting factors such as group size, resource size and asymmetry of access, which generally constitute the nature of the dilemma. The second category involves ‘institutional’ issues related to how people might solve the problem, such as user communication between subjects, information about previous subjects’ choices, and regulatory measures.
Water grabbing, which is prevalent in countries involved in farmland transfer, poses a new challenge to ensuring water, food and environmental security. This study utilises the database of the China Land Economic Survey (CLES) and Yitzhaki's relative deprivation index to quantitatively evaluate the impact of farmland transfer on water grabbing. The results indicate the existence of water grabbing in the context of farmland transfer in China. Furthermore, water grabbing represents a novel form of increasing water usage. Additionally, farmland transfer significantly and positively correlates with water use and water grabbing. Finally, both plot up‐scaling and pro‐environmental investment, along with their combination, can mitigate these effects and mutually reinforce each other. The study proposes that solutions for mitigating water grabbing lie in policy intervention, such as farmland consolidation and environmental regulation, necessitating government intervention.
Ensuring that “each household has a dwelling” is a fundamental principle in the reform of the rural housing system. Pilot areas for residential reform have achieved positive outcomes in rural collective housing. This paper, based on a field study conducted in District D of Province G, utilizes a case study methodology and the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to explore the driving mechanisms behind the implementation of collective housing in the pilot villages of District D. It comprehensively analyzes the roles of various stakeholders throughout the entire process of “planning, construction, distribution, and management”, and evaluates the effectiveness of the initiative. The findings of the study indicate that collective housing construction can effectively alleviate land scarcity, meet the housing demands of rural residents, and enhance the overall rural environment. To ensure the successful implementation of collective housing projects, the government must assume a coordinating and guiding role, providing necessary financial and land support while streamlining the approval process. Village collectives should actively manage residential land and respect the preferences of farming households. Furthermore, pricing, allocation, and management strategies should be tailored to local conditions to ensure fairness and safeguard farmers’ rights and interests. Policies should remain adaptable, taking into account regional differences in geography, society, and culture, and selectively incorporating collective housing models to achieve the goal of “each household having a dwelling.”
Background: The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) emerged as a convenient measure of national economic activity during the Great Depression. It was subsequently adopted by international development economists to track developing countries’ progress so that, despite its severe deficiencies, it became ‘locked in’ by habit, convenience, and policy makers’ preferences. Purpose: This article conceives of GDP as a social intervention fit for evaluation. It shows that the GDP has had a pervasive and pernicious influence on policy making. Since past strategies aimed at dethroning the GDP have failed, it proposes new, evaluator-driven approaches designed to undermine the GDP’s dominance in the global market economy. Setting: The Stiglitz report commissioned in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis launched a ‘Beyond GDP’ movement. Since then, public alarm about the GDP growth addiction has escalated: the drawbacks of GDP as a free-market policy tool have become self-evident as the rich get richer, the ranks of the poor swell and the future of the planet hangs in the balance. Research Design: Not applicable. Data Collection and Analysis: For the twenty largest economies in the world, the article estimates climate change discounts to the GDP based on official CO2 emissions statistics and a social cost of carbon estimate derived from a 2015 survey of eminent climatologists. It also draws on composite indexes generated by four reputable social research organizations to rank countries for their contributions to the 5 Ps of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnership. Findings: Pending the results of on-going efforts to upgrade worldwide statistics focused on the 169 SDG targets, the proposed GDP discounts help track progress towards the SDGs. But monitoring is not enough. In a policy world dominated by vested interests, the new ‘Beyond GDP’ indicators should be combined with principled, evaluator-directed evaluations.
Snaring is considered to be the most common form of hunting in Africa. Although snaring can provide hunters with valuable food and income, it can also devastate wildlife populations when practiced unsustainably and has significant animal welfare implications. Snaring can also be wasteful, both when animals escape with fatal injuries and when catch is discarded. In the present article, we argue that snaring is a regional-scale threat to wildlife and to the sustainable use of biodiversity in Africa. We show that snaring in Africa is geographically widespread and locally intense, that tens of millions of snares are likely set across the continent annually, and that at least 100 million kilograms of wild meat is probably wasted in Africa every year because of snaring. We discuss opportunities to address these impacts through changes to governance and enforcement and by reducing demand for wild meat in cities.
This paper begins by charting the trajectory of Malta's political, policy and institutional innovation in relation to environmental issues since the Islands gained independence in 1964. It examines the growth of the Maltese environmental movement post‐independence and the creation of governing institutions in response to public concern and international momentum. It then provides an analysis of the current situation in terms of issues, attitudes and narratives, particularly in relation to the construction and transport sectors. The paper reviews international practices and challenges in terms of environmental policy integration and democratic innovations, as well as positive experiences from the Maltese context. It concludes with some reflections, drawing on the roles of knowledge, public reason and social trust in environmental governance. This paper may be especially relevant to the study of governing institutions operating under conditions of intense pressure and the clientelist politics typical of small, densely‐populated jurisdictions.
Research Summary
Research on organizational climate change adaptation has focused on high‐income nations, neglecting vulnerable regions already facing severe climate impacts. This study addresses this gap by examining how decision‐makers in vulnerable contexts respond to climate change, drawing on a unique panel dataset of over 3000 agricultural producers in Brazil. Using an abductive mixed‐methods approach, we develop a framework that explains how, contrary to findings from high‐income contexts, the experience of climate change and the resulting heightened perception of climate change risk are more likely to increase maladaptive rather than adaptive responses. These maladaptive responses create “climate traps”—vicious cycles driven by the interplay between decision‐makers' perceptions and ecological feedback loops, which further exacerbate vulnerability. Our framework offers a foundation for understanding adaptation patterns in vulnerable contexts.
Managerial Summary
Climate change poses significant challenges for decision‐makers, particularly in vulnerable regions where adaptation is critical for survival. This study examines how small agricultural producers in Brazil respond to climate change, revealing that, rather than adopting adaptive strategies, many implement maladaptive responses that exacerbate their future vulnerability. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, we find that the experience of climate change and a heightened risk perception drive short‐term survival strategies, creating “climate traps” that reinforce ecological and economic distress. Emotions such as fear and hopelessness play a crucial role in fostering decisions that prioritize immediate relief over long‐term resilience. This research highlights the need for interventions that account for the psychological barriers to adaptation in these contexts.
This article discusses key historical architectural structures in Cambodia and Nepal—the dharmasālā of King Jayavarman VII (c. 1122–1218 CE) and sattal (also known as sattra) structure from Licchavi-era Nepal (c. 450–750 CE). These structures have served a variety of purposes for their local communities in the past and continue to fulfill similar roles even today. In historical Asian cities, the central role of these structures, which were evidently influenced by Buddhism, highlights the importance that the community infrastructure had within Buddhism. Such infrastructure not only brought communities together but also served the needs of the saṅgha. Mentions of halls as “mote halls” are not rare within the Buddhist literature either, with mentions of great assembly halls, or santhāgāra, where the members of the community gathered to discuss matters of social and political interest. A notable hall described in the Jātaka is Mahosadha’s great hall from Māhā-ummagga-jataka. These halls, which are central in the concept of urban settlements and their authority within the Buddhist idea of governance, are a form of community-oriented “commons” infrastructures that can be looked at as “third places” that foster action and speech for public participation in governance. This, we propose, should be seen as a crucial element of Buddhist governance.
Sustainability is achieved when resources are used to meet current needs without compromising their availability for future generations. This study examined fishing behaviors across age groups using the Fishing Cards digital game. Participants (N = 30) played 40 s rounds, using two types of cards to catch fish: one less powerful and the other with greater capacity for resource extraction. The game consisted of two phases. In Phase 1, resources were unlimited, allowing participants to fish freely. In Phase 2, resources were limited and could be depleted, potentially leading to defeat in the game. The research aimed to examine whether InterResponse Time (IRT) for fishing responses changed and how card selection patterns and resource availability influenced participants’ choices. Specifically, the goal was to observe how players achieved sustainability in Fishing Cards when resources became limited. Statistical analysis was conducted using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM). Findings showed a reduction in the selection of the most powerful card and an increase in IRT during the limited resource phase, indicating more sustainable extraction patterns. As resource availability decreased, participants were less likely to use the most powerful cards. The study contributes to understanding sustainable behavior in experimental analogs and highlights the potential of digital gaming for environmental education and sustainability. Limitations are acknowledged.
This conceptual paper introduces Macro Stewardship (Ma-S) as a transformative approach in sustainable finance to challenge financial market failures that contribute to systemic collective action issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and inequality. It argues that traditional Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies focus on individual corporate actions and often fail to drive systemic change. Ma-S, on the other hand, leverages the power of financial institutions to engage governments, policymakers, and stakeholders in addressing market failures tied to sustainability. Unlike Micro Stewardship (Mi-S) or ESG approach, which centers on corporate-level engagement, Ma-S promotes collaborative interventions to align the interests of businesses, governments, and society. This approach aims to influence regulatory changes, shape public policy, and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper is guided by the research question: How can Macro Stewardship by financial institutions serve as a transformative approach in sustainable finance to achieve systemic change? It proposes a definition for Ma-S, outlines its practical applications, identifies implementation challenges, and presents a research agenda to evaluate its effectiveness and impact. In doing so, the paper lays a foundation for future empirical studies and calls for a shift in how financial systems contribute to global sustainability.
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