Forests, lands, water bodies, and other public spaces where a group larger than a household or family unit exercises rights of use and carries the responsibility of management are examples of common property resources. CPRs can be defined as a community's natural resource, where every member has the right of access and usage with specified obligations, without anybody having property rights over them. This article seeks to elaborate on common property resources and the perspective adopted towards them in India.

Meaning Of Common Property Resources

Common Property Resources (CPRs) refer to those resources that are accessible to all members of a community and are managed by the collective efforts of the community. They do not belong to any one individual but to the community as a whole. For example: public parks, community gardens, and shared grazing lands.

These resources are shared by a group or community larger than a single household or family, and the rights to use these resources are held by the community. The responsibility for managing and maintaining these resources also falls on the community.

Such resources are essential for the survival and well-being of the community, as they provide necessary goods and services, like food, water, and space for recreation. They also play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance.

Significance Of Cprs In India

CPRs are more than just land; they are vital to the livelihood and sustainability of rural communities:

• Support for Livestock: They are crucial for grazing and fodder, directly supporting livestock, an essential asset for rural economies.
• Resource for Households: CPRs offer materials like fuelwood and medicinal plants, reducing household expenses and promoting well-being.
• Income for the Marginalized: For landless and marginal farmers, CPRs are a lifeline, providing resources to support their livestock, upon which they heavily rely for income.
• Empowerment of Women: In many rural areas, women are primarily responsible for collecting fodder and fuel. CPRs thus play a significant role in their daily lives, offering accessibility and resources for their families' needs.
• Economic Dependency: Many rural households rely on CPRs for daily needs like fuelwood, fodder, and water.
• Environmental Sustainability: CPRs help preserve biodiversity, manage resources sustainably, and protect ecosystems.
• Social Equity: They provide resources to marginalized groups, reducing economic inequality within communities.

Characteristics Of Common Property Resources:

Being essential for the survival of the community at large, common property resources have the following characteristics:

• Well-defined groups or communities have the exclusive right to use the resources.
• There is the non-excludability condition that no member of the community can be excluded from the use of such resources.
• The use of the resources is subtractive in the sense that the use of it by any user would reduce access and welfare to other members of the community.

Types of Common Property Resources

• Land Resource: Common property land resource refers to lands identified with a specific type of property rights. The common lands covered in the National Sample Survey (NSS) inquiry are panchayat lands, government revenue lands, village common lands, village thrashing lands, unclassified forest lands, woodlands and wastelands, river banks, and lands belonging to other households used as commons.
• Forest Resources: Another category of land for which common property rights may exist is land under forests. Unclassified forests, with very low productivity, are always open to use by local communities. Accordingly, both protected and unclassified forests are treated as forming a part of common property forest resources. It is, therefore, the subset of total forest area minus reserve forests to which common property rights are assumed to exist.
• Water Resources: There are a variety of resources of water, which are in the public domain, and a significant part of these are included in the category of commons. Examples are rivers, tanks and natural lakes, groundwater, wetland and mangrove areas, and other water bodies. Man-made water resources such as dams and canals, tube wells, and other wells, and the supply of all types of potable water also fall in the category of CPRs depending upon their property rights. Unfortunately, even after many debates about property rights (such as traditional rights, community rights, and human rights), water has not yet been declared as CPR in India, though references are made in the water policy document indirectly.
• Village Common Lands: These include land for community buildings, playgrounds, and cultural spaces within villages. Villagers may also use these for festivals, gatherings, or other communal activities.
• Sacred Groves and Religious Forests: Some forests are maintained as sacred groves and preserved for religious and cultural reasons by local communities. These groves contribute to biodiversity conservation and have cultural and ecological significance.

Challenges Faced By CPRS:
Despite their importance, CPRs face several challenges:

• Encroachment and Overuse: Growing population and increasing agricultural demands lead to overuse and encroachment of CPRs, depleting these vital resources.
• Degradation of Resources: Unsustainable usage practices contribute to the degradation of CPRs. This affects their capacity to provide for the community. A common property resource is potentially subject to congestion, depletion, or degradation when its use is pushed beyond the limit of sustainable yield. Hardin (1968) called the problem of CPR the "tragedy of the commons".
• Legal and Management Issues: Ambiguities in legal frameworks and management practices often hinder the effective conservation and use of CPRs.
• Climate Change: Altered rainfall patterns and natural disasters negatively impact CPRs, affecting communities relying on them.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, Common Property Resources (CPRs) play a crucial role in India's rural economy, culture, and environmental sustainability. They provide essential resources for rural and tribal communities, supporting their livelihoods and daily needs. Beyond their economic value, CPRs contribute to social equity by ensuring resource access to marginalized groups and play a vital part in conserving biodiversity and ecosystems. However, CPRs face challenges such as encroachment, degradation, legal ambiguities, and climate impacts. Effective policy measures, community involvement, and sustainable management practices are essential to protect and preserve these resources for future generations.

References:

• https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/60548/2/Unit-11.pdf
• https://mospi.gov.in/sites/default/files/publication_reports/452_final.pdf
• https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/common-property-resources-class-12-geography-notes/

Written By: Shaista Waseem, a student at Unity P.G and Law College LL.B(Hons) 9th Semester.