Case Studies of Social-Ecological Systems

Titlesort ascending
Type

Biodiversity, resilience and the control of ecological-economic systems: the case of fire-driven rangelands

Case
This paper advances a model to assess how grazing pressure in rangelands may lead to change in the ecological state of the range with a particular focus on fire-dependent semi-arid rangelands. The impact of management decisions on fire-dependent grasslands, such as active fire suppression policies or the incidental fire suppression effect caused by allocating higher stock densities, serve to reduce the build-up of fuel loads, inhibit fire and its regulating effect on shrub growth. The loss or...
12 Oct 2021

Bhanjyang Tar Ko Kulo, Bansbri and Bhote Panchayat, Sindhupalchok District, Nepal

Case
This case is part of the original Nepal Irrigation Institutions and Systems (NIIS) database developed in the 1980's by a team of researchers under the direction of Dr. Elinor Ostrom at Indiana University. In addition, this case is also part of a longitudinal study that has repeatedly investigated 19 farmer-managed irrigation systems (FMIS) in the Indrawati River Basin that participated in an innovative intervention designed to improve irrigation performance not only by improving physical...
09 Aug 2016

Besi Kulo, Kot village Panchayat, Sindhupalchok District, Nepal

Case
This case is part of the original Nepal Irrigation Institutions and Systems (NIIS) database developed in the 1980's by a team of researchers under the direction of Dr. Elinor Ostrom at Indiana University. In addition, this case is also part of a longitudinal study that has repeatedly investigated 19 farmer-managed irrigation systems (FMIS) in the Indrawati River Basin that participated in an innovative intervention designed to improve irrigation performance not only by improving physical...
09 Aug 2016

Barrio San Antonio irrigation system, Tabaco City, Philippines

Case
The Barrio San Antonio irrigation system is located at the northern foot of Mount Mayon approximately 7 km west of the city of Tabaco, Albay province, in the Philippines. It also faces Mt. Masaraga on the west and Mt. Malinao on the northwest.  No jeepneys nor buses exclusively ply the Tabaco-San Antonio route but it is accessible to different towns of the Albay and Camarines Sur because of public transportation. Vehicles that travel this route go between various towns of Camarines...
09 Aug 2016

Barabaig communal grazing system, Hanang plains, Tanzania

Case
This case was part of a study to determine whether the institutional design principles of Ostrom where, in fact, related to "governance success" by Cox et al.  In that analysis, this case was classified as a success.
09 Aug 2016

Banggai Cardinalfish, Indonesia

Case
The Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) is a species endemic to the Banggai Islands of Indonesia. It has been overfished due to its popularity as an aquarium fish, and is currently listed as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List. The system lacks appropriate soft public infrastructure to regulate and monitor extraction and trade of the species.
09 Aug 2016

Ballynakill Harbour multi-use co-operative, Connemara District, Ireland

Case
Ballynakill Harbour is located on the northwest part of Connemara, a region on the west coast of Ireland. Use of the harbor has moved from predominantly single-use, involving commercial and domestic fishing, to multiple uses including: fishing for shrimp, white fish, and salmon; as well as finfish and shellfish aquaculture, oyster farming, and marine tourism. The case study focuses on the activities of the North Connemara Marine Co-operative which was formed through collective action between...
09 Aug 2016

Balinese Subak irrigation system

Case
The rice paddies and irrigation system of this case are near Tihingan village, in the Klungkung district of Bali, Indonesia ‐ 45 km northeast of Denpasar. The original case spans from 1957 to 1959, and it catalogues an action situation involving 455 rice farmers who are members of an organization that regulates irrigation and planting cycles (a subak). The subak system in Bali represents a longstanding tradition for irrigation, dating back to at least the 12th century (some estimates suggest as...
09 Aug 2016

Baghmara Ko Kulo, Sikharpur Village Panchayat, Sindhupachok District, Nepal

Case
This case is part of the original Nepal Irrigation Institutions and Systems (NIIS) database developed in the 1980's by a team of researchers under the direction of Dr. Elinor Ostrom at Indiana University. In addition, this case is also part of a longitudinal study that has repeatedly investigated 19 farmer-managed irrigation systems (FMIS) in the Indrawati River Basin that participated in an innovative intervention designed to improve irrigation performance not only by improving physical...
09 Aug 2016

Baccalaos Cove Cod Fishery, Canada

Case
The fishing community, Baccalaos Cove, is located in the Placentia Bay on the eastern shore of the Burin Peninsula of Newfoundland, in the eastern part of Canada on the Atlantic coast. The original case, which spans from 1977-1979, catalogues an action situation of approximately 300 fishermen; the resource unit is cod. Depending on the season, different allocation techniques are used for assigning fishing spots; lottery system in summers and "first-in-time, first-in-right" process in the fall....
09 Aug 2016

Ayvalik-Haylazli Lagoon Fishery

Case
The Ayvalik-Haylazli lagoon fishery is located on the Turkish Mediterranean coast near the town of Adana. The resource units are demersal fish (mullets, groupers, and snappers). The original case, which spans from 1976-1978, catalogues an action situation involving 103 registered fishermen from three neighboring villages. As of 2011, the fishery and its adjacent waters are harvested by 397 registered fishermen from three neighboring villages. There are user group organizations (...
09 Aug 2016

Ascension Bay Lobster Fishery

Case
Ascension Bay is located in Quintana Roo State, Mexico. The resource appropriated from the Ascension Bay Lobster Fishery is lobster. In this case, the fisheries are organized by co-ops or firms. Institutional arrangements are such that members of the Ascension Bay Lobster Fishery co-op can trade or sell lobster territories since members own the territories that they fish from. This case was part of the original CPR database developed in the 1980s by Edella Schlager and Shui Yan Tang at...
09 Aug 2016

Artisanal green turtle fishery in eastern (Caribbean) Nicaragua

Case
The artisanal green turtle fishery is operated by the indigenous Miskito along Nicaragua's eastern (Caribbean) coast between the city of Bluefields in the south and Puerto Cabezas in the north.  The original case study focused on the village of Tasbapauni which is located approximately 40 miles north of the capital Bluefields on a narrow beach separating Pearl Lagoon from the ocean.  The initial report covers a time period from approximately 1968 to 1969, as well as part of 1971, and...
09 Aug 2016

Argali Raj Kulo irrigation system (Jethi Kulo), Argali village Panchayat, southern Nepal

Case
The resource appropriated from Argali Raj Kulo Irrigation (Jethi Kulo) is water for irrigating fields in the Argali Village Panchayat in Palpa District in the Lumbini Zone of southern Nepal. The irrigation system consists of a network of canals that receives its water supply from the Kurung Khola stream via another canal. There are strategic points within the resource where the main flow of the water can be controlled, but not considerable variation over space in the availability of water...
09 Aug 2016

Arembepe Coastal Fishery, Brazil

Case
Arembepe, a village in the north-central Brazil and capital of the state of Bahia, is located to the north of the city of Salvador on the Atlantic coast. The original case, which spans from 1962 to 1964, catalogues a population of 181 fishermen in the village. A variety of fish are appropriated from the Arembepe Fishery, mainly depending on the season. Few of the most commonly caught fish species are badejo, dentão, carnapú, and olho de boi. The rule that regulates temporary access to fishing...
09 Aug 2016