One of the biggest questions surrounding common-pool natural resources (CPRs) lies in understanding the circumstances which increase the likelihood of sustainable use and those that lead to resource degradation. Small-scale fisheries are an example of a CPR that has proven difficult to manage sustainably. I use social network analysis methods to examine the social connectivity of small-scale fishing communities and the association of network structures with collaborative behavior of small-scale fisheries in the Northern Gulf of California, Mexico.I found considerable connectivity of communities via kinship ties of small-scale fishers, both within the region and to other areas in Mexico. Fisher kinship relationships are important mechanisms for information transfer. Identifying communities in the network that are most likely to share information with other communities allows managers to develop more effective and efficient education, outreach, and enforcement efforts.Communities are also connected by their use of the same fishing zones and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). My results provide suggestions for dividing communities based on common use of fishing areas and MPAs. This may help fishers and managers to develop, implement, and enforce boundary rules that will facilitate regional management of small-scale fisheries. My results provided mixed evidence for the role of social structure in impacting positive outcomes for fisher' ability to collaborate and organize. A wide range of factors affect the emergence of institutions for CPR management. Similarly, finding a common network structure that can accurately predict sustainable use of CPRs is unlikely. Knowing how people are connected and the ways in which information about CPR resources moves through (or is hindered from moving through) a network can improve manager's ability to develop more effective strategies and actions. Adding social networks into the CPR management toolbox provides a mechanism by which those working in management and conservation can incorporate social structure into management activities.An understanding of the social networks that connect communities and the potential pathways for information transfer, combined with a system of enforceable rules and policies and effective outreach methods and materials, may help managers and resource users more effectively and sustainably manage CPRs in the long term.

<p>The purpose of this dissertation is to contribute to a better understanding of how global seafood trade interacts with the governance of small-scale fisheries (SSFs). As global seafood trade expands, SSFs have the potential to experience significant economic, social, and political benefits from participation in export markets. At the same time, market connections that place increasing pressures on resources pose risks to both the ecological and social integrity of SSFs. This dissertation seeks to explore the factors that mediate between the potential benefits and risks of global seafood markets for SSFs, with the goal of developing hypotheses regarding these relationships. </p><p>The empirical investigation consists of a series of case studies from the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. This is a particularly rich context in which to study global market connections with SSFs because the SSFs in this region engage in a variety of market-oriented harvests, most notably for octopus, groupers and snappers, lobster, and sea cucumber. Variation in market forms and the institutional diversity of local-level governance arrangements allows the dissertation to explore a number of examples. </p><p>The analysis is guided primarily by common-pool resource (CPR) theory because of the insights it provides regarding the conditions that facilitate collective action and the factors that promote long-lasting resource governance arrangements. Theory from institutional economics and political ecology contribute to the elaboration of a multi-faceted conceptualization of markets for CPR theory, with the aim of facilitating the identification of mechanisms through which markets and CPR governance actually interact. This dissertation conceptualizes markets as sets of institutions that structure the exchange of property rights over fisheries resources, affect the material incentives to harvest resources, and transmit ideas and values about fisheries resources and governance.</p><p> The case studies explore four different mechanisms through which markets potentially influence resource governance: 1) Markets can contribute to costly resource governance activities by offsetting costs through profits, 2) markets can undermine resource governance by generating incentives for noncompliance and lead to overharvesting resources, 3) markets can increase the costs of resource governance, for example by augmenting monitoring and enforcement burdens, and 4) markets can alter values and norms underpinning resource governance by transmitting ideas between local resource users and a variety of market actors. </p><p>Data collected using participant observation, survey, informal and structured interviews contributed to the elaboration of the following hypotheses relevant to interactions between global seafood trade and SSFs governance. 1) Roll-back neoliberalization of fisheries policies has undermined cooperatives’ ability to achieve financial success through engagement with markets and thus their potential role as key actors in resource governance (chapter two). 2) Different relations of production influence whether local governance institutions will erode or strengthen when faced with market pressures. In particular, relations of production in which fishers own their own means of production and share the collective costs of governance are more likely to strengthen resource governance while relations of production in which a single entrepreneur controls capital and access to the fishery are more likely to contribute to the erosion of resource governance institutions in the face of market pressures (chapter three). 3) By serving as a new discursive framework within which to conceive of and talk about fisheries resources, markets can influence norms and values that shape and constitute governance arrangements.</p><p>In sum, the dissertation demonstrates that global seafood trade manifests in a diversity of local forms and effects. Whether SSFs moderate risks and take advantage of benefits depends on a variety of factors, and resource users themselves have the potential to influence the outcomes of seafood market connections through local forms of collective action.</p> / Dissertation

Objetivos. a) analisar os fatores associados à criação de relações de sinergia entre poder público e sociedade no âmbito do Consórcio Intermunicipal das Bacias Hidrográficas dos rios Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí, assim como a contribuição desta organização para a gestão dos recursos hídricos na região; e b) contribuir para as discussões sobre novas formas de institucionalidade na gestão de recursos naturais. Metodologia. A metodologia de pesquisa combina três instrumentais complementares: pesquisa documental, um survey aplicado a membros do Consórcio em uma amostra aleatória, e questionários complementares com atoreschave, utilizando como suporte para a análise a ferramenta organizacional IAD (Institutional Analysis and Development). Resultados. Os resultados explicitam que características relacionadas ao contexto físico e político, às formas das relações e articulações estabelecidas entre os atores, e o estabelecimento de relações interinstitucionais e intersetoriais no contexto de gestão dos recursos hídricos possibilitaram a emergência de sinergia no caso estudado. A experiência do Consórcio PCJ na gestão dos recursos hídricos foi pioneira no Estado e mesmo no País, tendo contribuído para avanços significativos não apenas regionalmente, com nos níveis estadual e nacional. Apesar disso, ainda se observam dificuldades na inclusão de maior heterogeneidade no processo de participação na gestão desses recursos. Considerações. No caso do Consórcio PCJ, falta ainda ampliar o acesso ao diálogo com uma parcela mais abrangente da população, contribuindo de forma mais efetiva para a formação de processos educativos que ampliem a quantidade e qualidade da participação social nos processos de gestão dos recursos hídricos. Abordando as possibilidades de uma nova institucionalidade na gestão de recursos naturais, o estudo indica a importância da formulação de políticas públicas que apóiem e fomentem: a) o envolvimento de instituições já consolidadas na catalização de processos de articulação entre outras instituições em torno de objetivos comuns; b) o diálogo entre poder público, iniciativa privada e sociedade civil organizada; c) o diálogo entre diferentes escalas na esfera institucional; e d) a constituição de processos pedagógicos que qualifiquem e ampliem a participação da sociedade nos mesmos. / Objectives. a) to analyze the factors related to the creation of state-society relations in the \"Consórcio Intermunicipal das Bacias Hidrográficas dos rios Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí\", as well as the contribution of this organization to the management of water resources in that region; b) to contribute to the proposal of new models of institutionality on natural resources management. Methodology. The research methodology combines three complementary instruments: documental research, a random sampling survey of members of the \"Consórcio\", and complementary surveys with key-actors, using as a support to the analysis the IAD (Institutional Analysis and Development) organizational tool. Results. Analysis of the data collected shows that characteristics related to the physical and political context, to the peculiarity of the relationships and articulations settled among the actors involved, and the settlement of interinstitutional and intersectorial relationships in the context of water resources management in that region, made the emergency of synergy in the case studied possible. The experience of \"Consórcio PCJ\" in the water resources management was pioneer in the State of São Paulo and even in Brazil, having contributed to significant advances not just regionally, but also at state and national levels. In spite of that, the difficulty of including a broader heterogeneity in the participation process for the management of these resources still remains. Considerations. In the case of \"Consórcio PCJ\", it is mandatory to develop means to expand the dialogue with a broader part of the society, contributing in a more effective way to building up the educational processes that could increase the quantity and quality of social participation in the management of water resources. With regard to the possibility of a new institutionality concerning natural resources management, this study points out the importance of the building of public policies that support and encourage: a) the involvement of already consolidated institutions in catalyzing processes of articulation among other institutions aiming at common goals; b) the dialogue between Public Administration, private initiative and the organized sectors of civil society; c) the dialogue among different scales in the institutional context; and d) the constitution of educational processes that qualify and broaden the participation of the society in them.

<p>Despite 21 years of protection, sideneck river-turtles (<italic>Podocnemis expansa</italic>, <italic>P. unifilis</italic> and <italic>P. vogli</italic>, arrau, terecay and galápago, respectively), an important food resource for riverine communities (<italic>ribereños</italic>) in the Middle Orinoco, have not recovered. To determine the most effective conservation alternative for recovery, we conducted semi-structured interviews of ribereños and determined their attitudes towards turtle conservation; we collected discarded turtle remains in riverine communities to estimate the level of turtle harvest; and constructed a population model to study the effect of reduced survival and future extraction on arrau turtle population growth. We found that ribereños blame continued commercial extraction for the lack of turtle population recovery. Ribereños have a desire to participate actively in conservation and, despite feeling alienated by governmental officials charged with protecting turtles, prefer to be included in conservation efforts. However, ribereños also fear retaliation from turtle poachers. We found widespread turtle harvest along the Middle Orinoco centered on juvenile arrau turtles, and adult female terecay and galápago turtles. In our population model, reducing harvest causes an increase in population growth. A 10% increase in survival causes rapid exponential growth in arrau turtles. The population continues to grow in over 70% of projected scenarios with limited harvest from a recovered stock. Due to the widespread distribution of turtles and their harvest, we recommend increasing ribereño participation in conservation activities, closing outsider (non-ribereño) access to the resource, increasing enforcement against illegal commercial harvest, instating possession limits for subsistence harvest, and promoting localized captive breeding of faster maturing terecay and galápago turtles to satisfy desire for turtle consumption.</p> / Dissertation

In Texas, landowner associations for the management of common-pool resources such as wildlife and groundwater have become increasingly popular. Successful management of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) depends upon the collective decision-making of landowners. Likewise, aquifer reserves are a trans-boundary resource subject to the "rule of capture." Numerous factors may affect the success of common-pool associations, including property ownership and habitat characteristics, landowner demographics, and social capital. I used a mail questionnaire to explore the relationship between these factors and their effect on association activities and management practices for eight Wildlife Management Associations (WMAs) occurring within the Lower Post Oak Savannah (LPOS) and the Central Post Oak Savannah (CPOS). In addition, I compared responses of members of WMAs in CPOS to members of the Brazos Valley Water Alliance (BVWA), a groundwater association situated in the region. Compared to CPOS, members of WMAs within the LPOS belonged to much larger groups, were generally more recent landowners that met more often, raised more money using more funding methods, and tended to have longer association membership than CPOS landowners, yet they had lower social capital. CPOS landowners owned significantly more land and considered relaxation/leisure and hunting more important land uses than LPOS landowners. The smaller group size in CPOS may be the most important factor in building social capital. Intra-association trust was positively influenced by the longevity of property ownership, the number of association meetings, the percentage of males in the association, and other factors. Negative influences on trust included absentee ownership and Habitat Cover Index, which was a measure of the amount of wooded habitat present. In CPOS, members of the BVWA were part of a much larger, more heterogeneous, and more recently formed group than members of WMAs. They also placed greater importance on utilitarian aspects of their properties, as opposed to land stewardship for conservation as practiced by members of WMAs. If associations are kept small ( < 50) with more frequent meetings, greater social capital and information sharing may be achieved, which may lead to increased land stewardship practices. However, landowners may be motivated more by their shared values independent of any benefit from their association.

No description available.

Marine Areas for Responsible Artisanal Fishing (AMPR) have emerged as a new model for co-managing small-scale fisheries in Costa Rica, one that involves collaboration between fishers, government agencies and NGOs. This thesis aims to examine the context for collective action and co-management by small-scale fishers; evaluate the design, implementation, and enforcement of AMPRs; and conduct a linguistic analysis of fisheries legislation. The present work relies on the analysis of several types of qualitative data, including interviews with 23 key informants, rapid rural assessments, and legal documents. Findings demonstrate the strong influence of economic factors for sustaining collective action, as well as the importance of certain types of external organizations for community development and co-management. Additionally, significant enforcement gaps and institutional deficiencies were identified in the work of regulating agencies. Legal analysis suggests that mechanisms for government accountability are unavailable and that legal discourse reflects some of the most salient problems in management.

Objetivos. a) analisar os fatores associados à criação de relações de sinergia entre poder público e sociedade no âmbito do Consórcio Intermunicipal das Bacias Hidrográficas dos rios Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí, assim como a contribuição desta organização para a gestão dos recursos hídricos na região; e b) contribuir para as discussões sobre novas formas de institucionalidade na gestão de recursos naturais. Metodologia. A metodologia de pesquisa combina três instrumentais complementares: pesquisa documental, um survey aplicado a membros do Consórcio em uma amostra aleatória, e questionários complementares com atoreschave, utilizando como suporte para a análise a ferramenta organizacional IAD (Institutional Analysis and Development). Resultados. Os resultados explicitam que características relacionadas ao contexto físico e político, às formas das relações e articulações estabelecidas entre os atores, e o estabelecimento de relações interinstitucionais e intersetoriais no contexto de gestão dos recursos hídricos possibilitaram a emergência de sinergia no caso estudado. A experiência do Consórcio PCJ na gestão dos recursos hídricos foi pioneira no Estado e mesmo no País, tendo contribuído para avanços significativos não apenas regionalmente, com nos níveis estadual e nacional. Apesar disso, ainda se observam dificuldades na inclusão de maior heterogeneidade no processo de participação na gestão desses recursos. Considerações. No caso do Consórcio PCJ, falta ainda ampliar o acesso ao diálogo com uma parcela mais abrangente da população, contribuindo de forma mais efetiva para a formação de processos educativos que ampliem a quantidade e qualidade da participação social nos processos de gestão dos recursos hídricos. Abordando as possibilidades de uma nova institucionalidade na gestão de recursos naturais, o estudo indica a importância da formulação de políticas públicas que apóiem e fomentem: a) o envolvimento de instituições já consolidadas na catalização de processos de articulação entre outras instituições em torno de objetivos comuns; b) o diálogo entre poder público, iniciativa privada e sociedade civil organizada; c) o diálogo entre diferentes escalas na esfera institucional; e d) a constituição de processos pedagógicos que qualifiquem e ampliem a participação da sociedade nos mesmos. / Objectives. a) to analyze the factors related to the creation of state-society relations in the \"Consórcio Intermunicipal das Bacias Hidrográficas dos rios Piracicaba, Capivari e Jundiaí\", as well as the contribution of this organization to the management of water resources in that region; b) to contribute to the proposal of new models of institutionality on natural resources management. Methodology. The research methodology combines three complementary instruments: documental research, a random sampling survey of members of the \"Consórcio\", and complementary surveys with key-actors, using as a support to the analysis the IAD (Institutional Analysis and Development) organizational tool. Results. Analysis of the data collected shows that characteristics related to the physical and political context, to the peculiarity of the relationships and articulations settled among the actors involved, and the settlement of interinstitutional and intersectorial relationships in the context of water resources management in that region, made the emergency of synergy in the case studied possible. The experience of \"Consórcio PCJ\" in the water resources management was pioneer in the State of São Paulo and even in Brazil, having contributed to significant advances not just regionally, but also at state and national levels. In spite of that, the difficulty of including a broader heterogeneity in the participation process for the management of these resources still remains. Considerations. In the case of \"Consórcio PCJ\", it is mandatory to develop means to expand the dialogue with a broader part of the society, contributing in a more effective way to building up the educational processes that could increase the quantity and quality of social participation in the management of water resources. With regard to the possibility of a new institutionality concerning natural resources management, this study points out the importance of the building of public policies that support and encourage: a) the involvement of already consolidated institutions in catalyzing processes of articulation among other institutions aiming at common goals; b) the dialogue between Public Administration, private initiative and the organized sectors of civil society; c) the dialogue among different scales in the institutional context; and d) the constitution of educational processes that qualify and broaden the participation of the society in them.

A growing awareness of the severity of the climate crisis caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions has led to an increased effort to find governance strategies to transition society towards sustainable development. One recently adopted strategy is the adoption of local carbon budgets, derived from the so-called global carbon budget, within local governments across Sweden. In this thesis, I explore this happening through a case study of the county of Västra Götaland, Sweden using the concept of governmentality to provide critical analysis of the use of local carbon budgets in an attempt to encourage reflexive governance. By conducting semi-structured interviews with persons involved in the adoption of local carbon budgets in Västra Götaland, I seek to gain a greater understanding of how local carbon budgets impact the way actors seek to govern climate through the adoption of new programs of conduct that seek the reform of the current regime of practices that exist within the county. I explore how such carbon budgets construct the problem of climate change and the need for rapid decarbonization to discover what practices are limited or made possible through such a construction. I find that local carbon budgets are problematizing several areas of municipal and regional governance, conceptually and practically, particularly in the way actors understand climate change and the decarbonization challenge. I argue that a reterritorialization of the climate into local ‘emission spaces’ allows for the quantification and distribution of limited ‘emissions resources’ amongst actors in the county. This territorialization and quantification of a constructed resource contribute to a perception of urgency critical to motivating action to decarbonize. These conditions create a mandate for political action to resolve the constructed problem of scarce ‘emissions resources’ within a municipality or county’s ‘emissions space’ to ensure a ‘fair’ distribution in society. I further suggest that actors adopting local carbon budgets should consider the application of common-pool resource management strategies to move governance beyond an internal carbon budgeting approach.

Drought related problems are a major stress source on the livelihood of communities in several areas of the world. Due to inefficient water resources management people leave their traditional habitat in search for security in larger agglomerations. This creates a big stress on the carrying capacity of urban centers and leaves deserted rural areas incapacitated. Setting Sustainable Development Goals as targets to reach, using Resilience Thinking to provide for resilience, adaptability and transformability, and planning for Integrated Water Resources Management can be a solution to reduce this outmigration. Rajasthan is a state in India where communities have been surviving with very little available water for ages. Contemporaneous implementations in parts of Rajasthan fulfill the framework set for this study. After identifying a promising SES in terms of drought resilience a field investigation was conducted for adequate assessment and model of resilient SES was reverse engineered from the findings. Reading thru this document one can explore the uniqueness of Rajasthan water governance from pasts long gone and to the current date. In the end of the study strategic adaptive planning recommendations can be found for creating a similar SES.