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Conference Paper Consolidation of Local Democracy In River Preservation And Fisheries Management on The Lower Sao Francisco River, Northeast Brazil(2006) Andrade, Renata Marson Teixeira de"This paper focuses on the effects of institutional choices and recognition on decentralization of river preservation and fisheries management on the Lower Sao Francisco River, Northeast Brazil, especially since the 1990s. By emphasizing issues of inequities and marginalization that stem from identity politics and institutional choices, the objective is to understand how the institutionalization of participatory watershed and fisheries/aquaculture management programs increase or decrease the possibility of democratic action and democratic control at the local level. Grounded in a detailed ethnographic study in two municipalities, this paper explores how the decentralization of the Federal Government's Revitalization Plan in the Sao Francisco River basin changes access to democratic control over fishing resources. It finds that the decentralization of the Revitalization Plan in some cases expands and in others undercuts the possibility of democratic action, especially for historically marginalized local communities whose livelihoods have traditionally depended on the river habitat, water quality and flow regime. This paper also examines the extent to which elected municipal versus traditional fishing authorities represent the interests and needs of fishing communities with regard to fisheries management. It first traces the historical context of the relationship between fishing communities and state in the region, and then presents detailed findings drawn from two municipalities alongside the Sao Francisco River. It finds that the process of institutionalizing participatory watershed and fisheries management in Brazil has helped in some circumstances to undermine and in others to strengthen both elected municipal and fishing communities along the lower Sao Francisco River."Conference Paper Revitalising Agriculture in Semiarid Areas: The Role of Wetland Common Pool Resources in Crop Production in Dryland Areas of Central Tanzania(2006) Shemdoe, R. S.; Kingazi, S. P.; Kitula, R. A."This paper explores the role of wetland resources in revitalizing agricultural crop production in semiarid areas of central Tanzania. It bases on the research findings from the study carried out in Mpwapwa district on assessing the status of wetlands in dryland areas of the district."Conference Paper Aligning Policy and Real World Settings: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis of the Effectiveness of Market Based and Community Governance Instruments in Managing a Commonly Shared Water Resource(2006) Straton, Anna; Ward, John R."The actions of people interacting together to govern common pool resources are guided and governed by formal legislation and regulations and 'informal' attitudes, shared norms and heuristics. Tensions potentially arise when sets of rules intersect and interact, especially sets of formal and informal rules. If those crafting or changing formal rules do not understand how particular sets of rules affect actions and outcomes in a particular ecological and cultural setting, these rule changes may result in rapid, unexpected, and possibly perverse outcomes (Ostrom, 2005). Thus, the effectiveness and durability of a novel set of formal rules and entitlements depends on the degree of integration with existing institutions and the capacity of mechanisms enabling people to adjust to new and changing circumstances. "This paper formally evaluates the durability and cost effectiveness of a novel set of formal rules regarding water use in an irrigation region of Australia and their compatibility with extant informal rules. A rising saline aquifer in the Coleambally Irrigation Area, a corollary of water abstraction and irrigation application, constitutes a common pool resource, characterised by costly exclusion and rival utilisation for regional irrigators. We report on theoretical insights from institutional analysis, network theory and deliberative and participatory methods, and empirically based outcomes of different institutional structures observed in an experimental simulation. Experimental economics was used to test the efficacy of both formal market institutions and group crafted voluntary social contracts to manage the common pool water resource. Based on allied biophysical research, the experimental setting relies on a catchment analogue, which represents the economic decision making and trading environment facing farmers. Observed behavioural responses to policy initiatives were compared according to two metrics: aggregate groundwater recharge and farm income (expressed as player payments) net of non- compliance penalties. The economic and environmental effectiveness and durability of a formal market institution existing with the set of informal rules is analysed and evaluated."Conference Paper Simulating Institutional Dynamics in the Context of Water in Outback Australia(2006) Smajgl, Alexander; Heckbert, Scott"Water availability in outback Australia is event driven and flips often from a situation of scarcity to a temporary abundance. Informal institutions are often able to translate such dynamics in sustainable user rules. Policy interventions are mainly focused on changing access rules to avoid over use or inefficiencies. Ripple effects of such formal institutional changes can lead to unexpected unsustainable outcomes; outcomes that are often captured in the 'story' behind informal arrangements. This paper analyses one case study on water access in outback Australia and translates field work results into an agent based model. In order to project ripple effects of institutional changes interventions in water access is assumed in an applied context. Core focus of the modelling exercise is the treatment of newcomers on a newly created trading scheme for water access rights. Simulations compare different options and how perceived risk of existing irrigators might change."Conference Paper 'I am just borrowing water, but I will return it in an hour': The Interdependence of Informal and Formal Institutions in Balinese Irrigation Management(2006) Lorenzen, Stephan"Rice cultivation in Bali cannot be separated from the irrigation societies called subak. Subak are socio-religious organisations responsible for irrigation management and religious activities within a defined geographical area. Every subak has rules that have developed over a long time. They have been codified in a set of laws called 'awig-awig'. These laws regulate rights and duties among the members of the subak. Such rights and duties include public obligations, regulations concerning land and water use, legal transactions of land transfer, and collective religious ceremonies. "However, the farmers' every day decisions rely strongly on informal regulations and unwritten rules. The author explores how irrigation water is negotiated by the heads of the subak who themselves are farmers. It is argued that the formal arrangements are reluctantly implemented by subak heads. It is the strength of the "informal" which gives them the freedom to adjust to constantly changing situations. "This paper uses a case study to show the complexity of local irrigation management. The first section discusses the common view of the subak as being a thoroughly structured, well organised irrigation society. The second section highlights recent changes to the subak system due to government intervention. The author analyses the impact of a recently established government-assisted federation (subak-gede) of five subak which share a common weir. The introduction of the new management level has brought changes to the way water is distributed amongst the subak which ignites unexpected resistance within the farming community. The third section questions the common view that a shift from 'weak' informal institutions to 'strong' formal institutions really improves irrigation management."Conference Paper An Empirical Comparison of Behavioural Responses from Field and Laboratory Trails to Institutions to Manage Water as a Common Pool Resource(2006) Ward, John R.; Tisdell, John G.; Straton, Anna; Capon, Tim"There has been extensive debate in the experimental economics literature as to the validity of extending the results of student experiments to more complex real world settings, characterised by the economic behaviour of diverse participants. This paper uses an experimental design that formally compares the behavioural responses of irrigator and student participants to different institutions and instruments to manage water as a common pool resource. The irrigator subject pool was drawn from land holders in the Daly River, Katherine and Darwin Catchments, Northern Territory Australia. The students were randomly selected from a pool of undergraduates at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia. The design combines the use of an environmental levy with community involvement in the formation of group agreements and strategies to explore the impact of information and communication on water use in a complex heterogeneous environment. Participants in the experiments acted as farmers faced with monthly water demands, uncertain rainfall, possible crop loss and the possibility of trading in water entitlements. The treatments included (a) no information on environmental consequences of extraction, (b) the provision of monthly aggregate environmental information, (c) the provision of monthly aggregate extraction information and a forum for discussion, and (d) the public provision of individual extraction information and a forum for discussion giving rise to potential verbal peer sanctions. To account for the impact of trade the treatments were blocked into two market types: no trade and a closed call clearance market. The simulated environmental flows provide equal public benefits to all experimental participants. The cost to the community of altering the natural flow regime to meet extractive demand was socialised through the imposition of an environmental levy equally imposed on all players. The field and laboratory results are compared."Conference Paper Scarcity and Conflict of Resources: Chom Thong Water Conflict(2006) Yamaguchi, Kensuke"The causal relationship between resource scarcity and conflict is often treated as trivial. While the shortage and the conflict must be strongly correlated, one should not simplify the conflict within this mechanism alone, rather a focus on actors in local institutions should be included to make our understandings of conflict more profound for future resolution. As a case study, this paper focuses on the water conflict in Northern Thailand. "This conflict was reportedly sparked by a water shortage that blighted an orchard causing the lowlanders to become angry towards the highlanders, as there had been less precipitation in the rainy season of 1997 as a result of El Niño. By comparing the joining group and non-joining group in the event, this paper tries to reveal the water scarcity in a discursive level does not reflect the real scarcity. "In conclusion, author argues the irrationality of water conflict as way to deal with water scarcity. Moreover it is insisted that the opportunity cost of the conflict is large despite of its impracticality. In stead of conflict, three alternative ways are suggested: (i) an appropriate institution including majority, minority and the conservation group should be crafted in each small catchments; (ii) an establishment of de jure right of access to water resources in formally approved institutional setting; and (iii) a rethinking of balanced source of livelihood between on-farm and off-farm income."Conference Paper Actores e Interacciones en el Uso de los Recursos Naturales en la Cuenca del Río Pichis, Selva Central del Perú(2006) Pinedo, Danny"Este estudio investiga cuáles son los diferentes actores y agentes en el uso de los recursos naturales y cómo ellos interactúan, así como cuál es el impacto de estas interacciones en el uso y manejo de los recursos pesqueros en la Amazonía peruana. Argumentamos que la idea convencional de la polarización entre extractores foráneos y población local no es el único rasgo que caracteriza las relaciones en la cuenca amazónica, sino que hay más bien una diversidad de actores que interactúan en un contexto dinámico. Los actores manifiestan diferentes estrategias que se traducen no sólo en relaciones conflictivas, sino también en diversas alianzas. Investigamos estos temas a través de un sondeo de varias poblaciones asentadas en las riberas del río Pichis y sus afluentes, en la selva central del Perú."Conference Paper Collective Action for Protection of Water Rights: The Case of Thuruwila, Sri Lanka(2006) Athukorala, Kusum"Irrigated agriculture, was the mainstay of the hydraulic society in ancient Sri Lanka. A two thousand five hundred system with its technical excellence was fittingly referred to as the 'Granary of the East'. Multifunctional water resource development systems in Sri Lanka supported human livelihoods, while fostering a strong sense of community ownership of natural resources. "The Mahavamsa, the premier historical chronicle in Sri Lanka enunciates the principle of common property resources, equity of access and state trusteeship .The development activities fostered by the State and individuals recognised the principle of coexistence between man and nature. Most ancient Sri Lankan irrigation systems, which provided the main source of livelihood for the people, were thus built for 'the benefit of the country ' and 'out of compassion for all living creatures'. "Intersectoral competition for water in modern times have caused traditional communities depending on irrigated rice cultivation confront stresses related to loss of traditional water rights to urban and industrial demands. To illustrate the scope of this challenge, this paper proposes to present the case study of a water transfer out of Thuruwila, a Purana (Ancient) village with a well endowed reservoir, in the Anuradhapura District in the North Central Province of Sri Lanka. More conservative in its social norms than the modern irrigated settlements nearby, the Purana village of Thuruwila has a close knit kin group, who maintain an ongoing tradition of agricultural rituals and festivals and derive a strong sense of identity from irrigated rice cultivation, their main source of livelihood. "Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of Sri Lanka and a venerated center of Buddhist pilgrimage, faces periodic shortages on its water resources due to heavy influxes of more than one million pilgrims during major Buddhist festivals. In an attempt to meet the increased demand the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) failing to increase the volume of extractions from existent sources, sought to tap Thuruwila, a medium sized reservoir, using financing from the ADB to supplement the Anuradhapura water supply. "The agencies involved finalized the proposed water transfer without adequate community consultations. Politicians and water professionals were the main decisionmakers in this process. When this was disclosed, opposition to the project arose due to the perceived loss of livelihood as well as loss of decision-making rights of the community over what they consider to be their water heritage. Supported by a network of environmental NGOs, Thuruwila then organized itself to mount a protest campaign and took its case to the Human Rights Commission and later, to the Supreme Court. Thuruwila was able to obtain an order upholding its right to irrigation water. This case is a significant illustration of collective action and judicial activism related to water rights in Sri Lanka. "This paper is based on work carried out as part of Regional Study of Water Transfers out of Agriculture for IFPRI."Conference Paper Agricultural Transformation as a Window to Rehabilitation of Common Property Resources(2006) White, R.; Bhuchar, S. K.; Sthapit, K. M.; Dhakal, M."During the last nine years the ICIMOD-coordinated project (People and Resource Dynamics in Mountain Watersheds of the Hindu Kush Himalayas - PARDYP) has looked at natural resource management dynamics in five watersheds of the 'middle mountains' in four countries of the Himalayas. The project identified the centrality of people and the factors influencing their land usage systems, along with the holistic treatment of natural resources, as a key essential step in management of watershed as an integrated pool of resources. Initial baseline surveys of the watersheds helped in understanding major socioeconomic and biophysical constraints to sustainable crop productions and improved livelihoods. Many of the issues thought to be the key issues at the beginning of the project, such as flooding, soil erosion, etc., turned out to be of less importance than other issues such as loss of soil fertility and crop productivity, reduced low season stream flows. The biophysical research allowed some initial opportunities to explore sustainable use of natural resources, including the common property resources (CPRs) as well as private lands. It was recognized that to be able to promote community participation to address the above problems, it was necessary to provide tangible private economic benefits to individual farmers. "The paper presents a number of case studies on rehabilitating degraded community lands in India and Nepal. In both cases understanding the people-dimension proved to be of far greater importance than the biophysical measurements and technical solutions. Examples include community forests in Nepal and degraded village lands that were developed into fodder banks in India. Scarcity of water in the dry season is an increasing problem in the middle mountains as increased demand exceeds the supply. Case studies from India and Nepal show that communities if made aware of the possibilities and given the confidence to develop their ideas can improve and effectively manage water sources. "Farmers in the study watersheds participated in the conservation and protection of CPRs because of their contributions to improved agricultural production options. They were either introduced or developed with farmers by PARDYP. Significant benefits have been gained by adopting and adapting simple appropriate technologies. Examples from Pakistan in a rural watershed with low productivity show 300% increase in farm income based on a combination of increased productivity and increased cropping intensity. There are options that are well suited to mountain farmers that take advantage of their niche conditions - such as off season vegetables. Biofertilisers can be used in places where transport costs for mineral fertilisers precludes their use and therefore maintain or increase soil fertility, which in turn means that cropping intensities can be increased. Improved methods of water management as well as methods of improving supply are being adopted, particularly when associated with another enterprise like fish farming. As a final consequence, effective management of CPR (non-crop lands) proved an attractive bonus-like option resulting from improved agriculture. This is a unique example of CPR-PPR complementarity "