The Commons and its 'Tragedy' as Analytical Framework: Understanding Environmental Degradation

Abstract

"The 'tragedy of the commons' has become a metaphor for a persistent and severe contradiction in the interaction of natural systems and social systems. Maximization of individual interests in the use of 'open access' common natural resources eventually degrades the commons to the detriment of all individuals. The classic formulation was based on the destruction of grazing resources on the village commons because of a local societal failure to control individual access. But the problematic of the commons is broader and richer than the well worn tragedy metaphor. Preservation or regeneration of the commons — whether at the local, nation state or global level — raises complex, enduring questions of institutional political economy and social values which transcend traditional political-administrative and disciplinary boundaries."