Institutional and Technological Options for Sustainable Intensification of Community Based Silvi-pasture Systems in Arid Eco-regions of South Asia

In arid eco-region of Rajasthan, India, common pool resources (CPRs) like common pastures and village water bodies provide ecosystem services such as fodder, fuel, timber, water and medicinal plants which are crucial for the livelihoods in particular of the poor. In western Rajasthan livestock keeping is the most important and resilient component of the agricultural systems which strongly depends on common pastures. However, the grazing areas have become severely degraded making the rural poor more vulnerable. A number of efforts have been made to improve the management of and rehabilitate the community pastures (Conroy and Lobo, 2002). The success of such initiatives was unreliable and even the strong involvement of elected village councils (Panchayats) has not helped. Post-project sustainability of new management practices remains uncertain due to cumbersome social dynamics, neglect of institutional arrangements as well as an overemphasis on technical and externally controlled interventions (Jodha, 2001; Mishra and Kumar, 2007). Previous empirical research using the social-ecological systems thinking and framework (Ostrom, 1990; Wade, 1988; Baland and Plateau, 1999) has helped to better understand CPR governance challenges. Nevertheless, there is still no clear answer to the question why common pasture management works out in some Rajasthan communities and fails in others. As part of the CRP Dryland Systems, this study was conducted on the people’s perceptions on the causes leading to degradation of common pastures and the factors hindering sustainable management and rehabilitation efforts and to facilitate the participatory assessment of NRM and institutional options for sustainable intensification of community silvipasture systems in western Rajasthan