Survival in the Past -- Survival in the Future? Past and Present Challenges of Community-based Management of Alpine Pastures in the Canton Grabünden, Switzerland

Abstract

"Community-based and common property institutions are able to sustainably use common pool resources. In Switzerland, this insight goes back to the research of Robert Netting (1981), who described the historical development of the common property resource (CPR)institutions in Törbel and their sustainable adaptation to ecological and social conditions. The case study of the mountain village Sumvitg in the canton Graubünden presented in this paper illustrates another case of sustainable CPR regime that managed to adapt to various disturbances over time."