Property rights and the utilisation of wetlands

Abstract

This paper argues that successful conservation of wetlands is fundamentally determined by the institutions and property rights associated with resource management decisions. Thus an understanding of property rights regimes, the constraints which they impose on users of wetlands resources, and the distribution of benefits of use among users and non-users are essential if the economic values of wetland ecosystems and functions are to be realised. We outline relevant theoretical perspectives on property rights and the sustainable utilisation of natural resources. We argue that wetland resources tend to have unique property rights regimes due to their ecological characteristics, namely their multiple-resource characteristics, the indivisible nature of these resources, and the seasonal and cyclical nature of different wetland resource components. Case studies of property rights regimes in Indonesia and Vietnam are presented. These show that wetland resources are often managed as common pool resources, and that state appropriation of resources or the imposition of private property rights can contribute to unsustainable utilisation or conversion of wetlands to other uses.