IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/ceesdp/18880.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The Commons in Transition

Author

Listed:
  • Sikor, Thomas

Abstract

The paper analyses the institutional dynamics surrounding common-pool resources in postsocialist Central and Eastern Europe. It is conceived in close conjunction with the case studies reported in the four preceding papers in this series. The purpose of this paper is to frame the individual case inquiries, compare the findings from the four plus two additional case studies, and relate those to broader agrarian and environmental changes in Central and Eastern Europe. The comparative assessment suggests that resource governance has shifted from the previously dominant legal and administrative state hierarchies towards markets. In addition, state power has moved from central governments towards local authorities. The waning and decentralisation of state power has caused the emergence of significant gaps between property legislation and rights-in-practice, which have been particularly stark in weak states. The discrepancy between legal texts and rights-in-practice leads to the exclusion of public and collective interests in favour of private interests in CPR management. It finds its environmental expression in the declining use of water control systems, widespread destruction of water infrastructure, and unfettered conversion of agricultural land for urban sprawl. Thus, the findings attest to the central role of distributive issues in postsocialist privatisation and suggest an additional dimension of distributive conflict: different rights and obligations associated with resources. They also suggest the need for postsocialist governments to be actively involved in the management of common-pool resources for the protection of public and collective interests.

Suggested Citation

  • Sikor, Thomas, 2002. "The Commons in Transition," Discussion Papers 18880, CEESA: Central and Eastern European Sustainable Agriculture International Research Project.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:ceesdp:18880
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.18880
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/18880/files/dp020010.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.18880?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Agrawal, Arun, 2001. "Common Property Institutions and Sustainable Governance of Resources," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(10), pages 1649-1672, October.
    2. Mathijs, Erik & Swinnen, Johan F M, 1998. "The Economics of Agricultural Decollectivization in East Central Europe and the Former Soviet Union," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 47(1), pages 1-26, October.
    3. Baland, Jean-Marie & Platteau, Jean-Philippe, 2000. "Halting Degradation of Natural Resources: Is There a Role for Rural Communities?," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198290612.
    4. Krumalova, Veronika & Ratinger, Tomas, 2002. "Provision of Environmental Goods on Potentially Abandoned Land- The White Carpathians Protected Landscape Area," Discussion Papers 18885, CEESA: Central and Eastern European Sustainable Agriculture International Research Project.
    5. Lerman, Z. & Brooks, K. & Csaki, C., 1994. "Land Reform and Fram Restructuring in Ukraine," World Bank - Discussion Papers 270, World Bank.
    6. Daniel Bromley, 1992. "The commons, common property, and environmental policy," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 2(1), pages 1-17, January.
    7. R. Quentin Grafton, 2000. "Governance of the Commons: A Role for the State?," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 76(4), pages 504-517.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bachev, Hrabrin, 2009. "Governing of agro-ecosystem services - modes, efficiency, perspectives," MPRA Paper 99870, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Gatzweiler, Franz W. & Hagedorn, Konrad & Zellei, Anett & Lowe, Philip & Sumelius, John & Backman, Stefan & Tanic, Stjepan, 2003. "Volume 4: Synopsis of the Central and Eastern European Sustainable Agriculture Project (CEESA)," CEESA\FAO Series 18901, CEESA: Central and Eastern European Sustainable Agriculture International Research Project.
    3. Bachev, Hrabrin, 2009. "Управление На Услугите На Агро-Екосистемите [Governance of eco-system services]," MPRA Paper 98884, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Simona Kubíčková, 2004. "Support of the landscape amenity function of agriculture and trade liberalisation [Podpora krajinotvorné funkce zemědělství a liberalizace trhu]," Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, Mendel University Press, vol. 52(6), pages 77-86.
    5. Penov, Ivan & Theesfeld, Insa & Gatzweiler, Franz W., 2003. "Volume 3: Irrigation and Water Regulation Systems in Transition: The Case of Bulgaria in Comparison with Latvia, East Germany and Romania," CEESA\FAO Series 18900, CEESA: Central and Eastern European Sustainable Agriculture International Research Project.
    6. Yakusheva, Natalya, 2019. "Managing protected areas in Central Eastern Europe: Between path-dependence and Europeanisation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    7. Bachev, Hrabrin, 2010. "Agro-Ecosystem Services – Governance Needs and Efficiency," MPRA Paper 25978, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Bachev, Hrabrin, 2009. "Governing of Agro-Ecosystem Services," MPRA Paper 15492, University Library of Munich, Germany.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wasilewski, Adam & Sikor, Thomas, 2003. "Institutional Options for the Protection of Open Space: Evidence from Poland," Discussion Papers 18887, CEESA: Central and Eastern European Sustainable Agriculture International Research Project.
    2. Sikor, Thomas, 2005. "Agro-Environmental Governance and the State: Lessons from Central and Eastern Europe," Proceedings “Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V.”, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA), vol. 40, March.
    3. Pavel Ciaian & d'Artis Kancs & Jan Pokrivcak, 2008. "Comparative Advantages, Transaction Costs and Factor Content of Agricultural Trade: Empirical Evidence from the CEE," EERI Research Paper Series EERI_RP_2008_03, Economics and Econometrics Research Institute (EERI), Brussels.
    4. Meyer, Leandro Fredrico Ferraz & Braga, Marcelo Jose, 2009. "Fear or Greed? Duty or Solidarity? Motivations and Stages of Moral Reasoning: Experimental Evidences from Public-Goods Provision Dilemmas," Working Papers in Applied Economics 53249, Universidade Federal de Vicosa, Departamento de Economia Rural.
    5. Naidu, Sirisha C., 2011. "Gendered effects of work and participation in collective forest management," MPRA Paper 31091, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Ranganathan, C. & Palanisami, K. & Kakumanu, K. & Baulraj, A., 2011. "Mainstreaming the Adaptations and Reducing the Vulnerability of the Poor due to Climate Change," ADBI Working Papers 333, Asian Development Bank Institute.
    7. Lerman, Zvi, 2001. "Agriculture in transition economies: from common heritage to divergence," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 26(2), pages 95-114, November.
    8. Barham, James & Chitemi, Clarence, 2008. "Collective action initiatives to improve marketing performance: Lessons from farmer groups in Tanzania," CAPRi working papers 74, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    9. Gorton, Matthew & Sauer, Johannes & Peshevski, Mile & Bosev, Dane & Shekerinov, Darko & Quarrie, Steve, 2009. "Water Communities in the Republic of Macedonia: An Empirical Analysis of Membership Satisfaction and Payment Behavior," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 37(12), pages 1951-1963, December.
    10. Chand, Narendra & Kerr, Geoffrey N. & Bigsby, Hugh R., "undated". "Why some community forests are performing better than others: a case of forest user groups in Nepal," 2010 Conference, August 26-27, 2010, Nelson, New Zealand 96827, New Zealand Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    11. Theesfeld, Insa, 2004. "Constraints on Collective Action in a Transitional Economy: The Case of Bulgaria's Irrigation Sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 251-271, February.
    12. Poteete, Amy R. & Ostrom, Elinor, 2008. "Fifteen Years of Empirical Research on Collective Action in Natural Resource Management: Struggling to Build Large-N Databases Based on Qualitative Research," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 176-195, January.
    13. Ma’Mun, Sitti Rahma & Loch, Adam & Young, Michael D., 2021. "Sustainable irrigation in Indonesia: A case study of Southeast Sulawesi Province," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(C).
    14. Lawson-Remer, Terra, 2013. "Do Stronger Collective Property Rights Improve Household Welfare? Evidence from a Field Study in Fiji," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 207-225.
    15. Heriniaina Andriananja & Vahinala Raharinirina, 2004. "Quels enjeux pour la durabilité et la gouvernance des ressources naturelles et forestières à Madagascar ?," Mondes en développement, De Boeck Université, vol. 127(3), pages 75-89.
    16. Floriane Clement, 2010. "Analysing decentralised natural resource governance: proposition for a “politicised” institutional analysis and development framework," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 43(2), pages 129-156, June.
    17. Bhim Adhikari & Jon Lovett, 2006. "Institutions and collective action: Does heterogeneity matter in community-based resource management?," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(3), pages 426-445.
    18. Esther Blanco, 2011. "A social-ecological approach to voluntary environmental initiatives: the case of nature-based tourism," Policy Sciences, Springer;Society of Policy Sciences, vol. 44(1), pages 35-52, March.
    19. Thapliyal, Sneha & Mukherji, Arnab & Malghan, Deepak, 2019. "Economic inequality and loss of commons: Evidence from India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 693-712.
    20. Agrawal, Arun & Yadama, Gautam & Andrade, Raul & Bhattacharya, Ajoy, 2006. "Decentralization and environmental conservation: gender effects from participation in joint forest management," CAPRi working papers 53, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Industrial Organization;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:ceesdp:18880. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/52803_en.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.