Contribution of Common Property Resources to Rural Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Uttar Pradesh (India)

Abstract

"This has been an established fact that the entire process of development of rural economy is somehow linked to the availability of common and natural resources surrounding it. Besides incomparable and non-enumerable contribution to ecology, climate and environment, the common property resources (CPRs) can generate scope of income - employment for the rural poor, and spillover benefits to agriculture, cottage industries and livestock economy. In this piece of research, an attempt is made to empirically investigate how the private properties such as agriculture, cottage industries and livestock depend on CPRs-growth; and again, how the livelihood of rural people is influenced by variation of CPRs’ availability and growth. In total, four villages:- two from CPRs-rich district and two from CPRs-poor district-are randomly chosen. The census of households is conducted at village level with a well designed questionnaire for the primary data. As per findings of our study, the average living standard of a household (socio-economically deprived) in CPRs-rich region is much better than in CPRs-poor region. CPRs play mainly in creating the above disparity by raising annual income of landless households to a relatively large extent in CPRs-rich areas as compared to that in CPRs-poor areas. In agriculture, all size classes of farmers are invariably found of using CPRs items. The big size farmers use disproportionately large quantity of water resources for irrigation. The intensity of use of CPRs, because of the availability, for agriculture is much greater in CPRs-rich villages than in CPRs-poor villages. The high yield rates of land and high farm income of a household in CPRs-rich region is largely attributed to high usage of CPRs items in agriculture. The village cottage industries are exclusively based on CPRs. The main factor-inputs for the industries are obtained from CPRs. The cottage industries in CPRs-rich region are economically more viable as compared to those in CPRs-poor region. The availability of CPRs such as grazing and fallow lands and forests are found to be highly supportive to the growth of livestock. The average use of green fodders per households for rearing livestock is much greater in CPRs-rich region than CPRs-poor region. Due to CPRs availability, the absolute number and variety of cattle-livestock are relatively greater in CPRs-rich region than in CPRs-poor region. From the findings of study, it can be inferred that by strengthening CPRs one can ensure the sustainable development of the rural economy as a whole."