Can common property resource systems work in Zimbabwe?

Abstract

Common property resource (CPR) management approaches are now thought to provide a viable alternative to natural resource management. Our investigations on common property issues for woodlands in communal areas in Zimbabwe reveal numerous cases showing a breakdown of local institutions for CPR management, and the lack of any emerging alternative institutions for such management. A number of economic, social and ecological factors contribute to these problems. We argue that current institutional systems are rooted in norm-based controls contrary to the formal rule-based systems that form the cornerstones of the proposed CPR systems. We suggest that interventions that propose CPR systems need critical analysis. The Zimbabwe Science News Volume 36 (1+ 2) 2002, pp. 13-17