Balasubramanian, R. 2006. "Institutional Landscapes in Common Pool Resource Management: A Case Study of Irrigation Tanks in South India." Presented at "Survival of the Commons: Mounting Challenges and New Realities," the Eleventh Conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property, Bali, Indonesia, June 19-23, 2006.

Abstract

"Irrigation tanks, which are one of the oldest common pool water resources in the coastal plains of South India, have been declining rapidly in recent years due to several factors. In response, people adopt various coping strategies such as migration, nonagricultural employment, and private tube-wells. This paper analyses the causes of tank degradation and the interrelationships among poverty, private coping mechanisms and collective action towards tank management. This paper shows that the increase in private wells has a strong negative effect on collective efforts for tank management. Poor people, who are more dependent on tanks, contribute more towards tank management compared to non-poor households. The study proposes several policy measures to revive and sustain the tanks."