Silean Banua irrigation system, Lintong ni Huta, Balige subdistrict, Indonesia

Resource System
Watershed and associated topography
Resource Units
Freshwater

Silean Banua Irrigation system is located in Lintong ni Huta, The subdistrict of Balige in Indonesia.The resource appropriated related to the social dilemma is water for irrigation The original case was reported in 1979 and catalogues an action situation involving 38 members. The author uses this case to challenge Bennett's (1976) proposition that traditional societies lack the capacity for cooperation, social mobilization, financing, and engineering expertise to construct large irrigation works. The villagers of Lintong ni Huta initiated construction on major irrigation works in 1869. Silean Banua was constructed entirely with local resources.

This case study is part of the original Common-Pool Resource (CPR) database. A summary of the original CPR coding conducted in the 1980s by Edella Schlager and Shui Yan Tang at Indiana University may be found under the CPR tab in the Institutional Analysis section below.