Question

Define Common Property Resources (CPR).

Hint:

Write the keywords "difficult to exclude" and "subtractable use" and add examples. A short contrast line — CPR (rules and group rights) \(\neq\) open access (no rules) — secures full credit.

Answer 1

Precise definition
Common Property Resources (CPR) are resources for which a clearly defined community has shared rights of access, withdrawal and management. Economically they are difficult to exclude others from using (high exclusion cost) yet subtractable/rival in use (one user's extraction reduces what remains for others). Examples include village pastures, tanks and ponds, community forests, grazing routes, fisheries in common waters and irrigation commons.
How CPR differ from related categories
Public good: non-rival and non-excludable (e.g., lighthouse light).
Private property: excludable and rival (e.g., a farm).
Open access: no enforceable rights or rules; anyone can use $\Rightarrow$ overuse.
Common property: community rules exist and are enforced (boundaries, membership), avoiding open-access dissipation.
Core characteristics of CPR
1) Clearly recognised user group tied to a defined resource boundary.
2) Subtractability: harvest by one user reduces stock for others; congestion appears beyond carrying capacity.
3) Need for rules: extraction limits, timing, technology, and space allocation to prevent overuse.
4) Collective choice and monitoring: users create, modify and enforce rules; monitors are accountable to users.
5) Sanctions and conflict resolution: graduated penalties and accessible forums reduce cheating and conflict.
Why CPR matter
They provide fuelwood, fodder, fish, water, grazing and seasonal income; act as safety-nets for the rural poor during drought and lean seasons; support ecosystem services (recharge, flood buffering, soil conservation, biodiversity).
Threats to CPR
Open-access conversion due to weak institutions, encroachment and privatisation; population pressure and market demand; elite capture; external projects without community consent; climate variability causing resource shocks.
Good management principles you can quote
Boundaries well defined; rules matched to local ecology and benefits/costs; participation of users in rule-making; regular monitoring; graduated sanctions; cheap conflict-resolution mechanisms; community's right to self-organise recognised by higher authorities; for large systems, nested institutions (village $\Rightarrow$ watershed $\Rightarrow$ basin).
Illustrative practices
Rotational grazing and stall feeding; seasonal fishing bans and mesh-size limits; community tank desiltation with share rules; regulated fuelwood collection days; water user associations scheduling turns; joint forest management and van panchayats with benefit-sharing.
One-line exam definition you can memorise
"CPR are rival but hard-to-exclude resources governed by community rules and shared rights, distinct from both private property and open access."