Governance of Commons

Syllabus: GS3/Environment and Conservation

Context

• Delhi hosted a first-of-its-kind dialogue on the conservation, restoration and governance of common resources usually referred to just as Commons. 

What are Commons?

• Commons is a term used to refer to resources that are not owned by any individual or group or the government, but belong to, and are shared by, the community as a whole. 
  • Forests, local ponds, grazing lands, rivers, and sacred sites are all Commons. In the urban setting, parks and lakes are Commons.
  • They provide a variety of ecological and other services that are beneficial for the entire community.
• Intangible Commons: Language, folk art or dance, local customs, and traditional knowledge are all shared resources, and thus are Commons. 
• At the international level, the polar regions, the Arctic and Antarctica, are considered global Commons. 
• Outer space, the Moon, and other planetary bodies are also global Commons.
• In the digital age, most Internet and open-source software are Commons.
  • Digital resources with creative commons licences are meant to be used freely by everyone.
• No country is allowed to take ownership of these areas, even though everyone can use them for certain kinds of activities. 

Need to Govern Commons

• They need to be maintained, preserved, and used sustainably. 
• As these resources are accessible to all, they face a greater threat of over-exploitation and damage. 
• Since no one owns Commons, the responsibility of maintenance and upkeep often becomes a problem. 
• Commons have also come under increased stress due to climate change.

Governance of Commons

• There are international agreements, for the use and management of polar regions, outer space, and high seas. 
  • The Paris Agreement on climate change, which seeks to maintain a liveable planet for everyone, is an example. 
• In urban areas, municipalities or other structures of local governance take care of the Commons.
• At rural levels, the governance of Commons is often not very well-defined or is non-existent.
  • Local communities do get involved but in most cases, lack the resources or the legal sanction to manage these common spaces. 

Forest Rights Act and its significance

• In India, the 2006 Forest Rights Act (FRA) is considered a good template for managing common forest resources. 
• The Act gives individual and community ownership rights to forest-dwellers to live in and carry out their livelihood in the forest areas. 
• The FRA recognised the legal rights of the forest dwellers over the land.

Conclusion

• Nearly one-fourth of India’s landmass, about 205 million acres, is estimated to be Commons, comprising community forests, pastures or water bodies. 
• Almost 350 million rural people depend on these Commons for their livelihoods. 
• These Commons are estimated to generate economic value worth about Rs 6.6 lakh crore annually, through the provision of goods and ecological services.
• FRA is a good model for forest land but similar frameworks need to be developed for other common resources, particularly areas that are officially classified as wasteland.

Source: IE