Managing Common Property Resources (CPRs) for Rural Development: A Development Perspective

By : M. Sabesh Manikandan, K. Sundaram

Page No: 340-351

Abstract
India is the second-most populous country with a population of 1,210.2 million, which constitutes 17.84 per cent of the world population. It is a country with 6,49,867 villages, with an addition of 2,279 villages as of now, of which about 833 million reside in the rural area, which constitutes 70 per cent of the population. However, a big part of this population has been leading an uncertain economic life due to non-synchronization of employment opportunities in agriculture sector, because of the fast-growing population. In poor countries, common property resources (CPRs) make a valuable contribution to the sustainable livelihoods of rural populations. Due to the increase in population, there is a progressive degradation in CPRs (because there is no investment in them), especially of fuel wood and fodder. This would eventually result in a situation where it is not possible to extract anything, implying that the ultimate resource availability is zero. In addition, a decrease in fodder availability from the common lands would result in a change in livestock composition. This paper highlights the need to examine the CPR sector for rural development in the context of wider economic policy reform processes in the Indian economy.

Authors :
M. Sabesh Manikandan : Assistant Professor of Economics, Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College (Autonomous),
Sivakasi K. Sundaram : Associate Professor of Economics, Ayya Nadar Janaki Ammal College (Autonomous), Sivakasi