Lecture Notes on Polycentricity and Commons Management

Key Concepts

• Garrett Hardin's Article (1968)

  • Discussed the concept of the "tragedy of the commons"
  • Imagined a pasture open to all leading to overuse
  • Illustrated the difficulty of escaping this trap

• Polycentricity

  • Concept of enabling market and governance at multiple scales
  • Interaction with community organization to create a nested system
  • Acknowledges the complexity of societal issues

Complexity of Solutions

• Simple solutions are inadequate for complex problems
• Society and people are inherently complex
• Need to enhance local and regional organizing
  • Aim for positive global externalities

Case Study: Maasai and Eastern Africa

• Historical Context
  • Maasai's traditional grazing strategies over centuries
  • Adaptation to limited and spotty rainfall
• Impact of Colonialism
  • British colonial farmers took large segments of land
  • Kenyan government continued land allocation to outsiders post-independence
  • Creation of group ranches that were insufficient for traditional practices
• Current Adaptations
  • Maasai privatizing land to prevent further loss
  • Re-establishing movement patterns for cattle management
  • Research by Esther Maungi highlights these coping mechanisms

Conclusion

• Community resilience is vital in managing commons
• Local practices must be recognized and supported to maintain ecological balance.