The Open Access Resources in the Rural Bangladesh: Its Function and the Change

Abstract

"Bangladesh is located on huge delta with highly dense population. The study investigates the situation of commonly used resources in rural Bangladesh from case study in two villages under different hydrological situation. In rural Bangladesh, Most land is privately possessed or possessed by the government, and the local commons are very few. Instead, wetland as khas land (owned by the government) was open to the community, and anyone could access. In addition, open access resources exist by refraining from addressing the private ownership such as inland surface water spread over private land like paddy fields in summer season, and various 'fallen resources' like leftover of rice straw, and fallen cow dung. Such resources have supported the sustenance of the life o resource poor people. But the khas land is gradually privatized, and the open access resources are changing the situation largely from change of cropping patterns. Instead, social plantation activities on road side increased the usable resources for resource poor people. Main stream of rural development in Banlgadesh has been training & loan program to activate individual income generation activities. But communal approach for increasing local resources, mutual help for setting minimum safety net is needed."