POLICY MATTERS 2014: REMEMBERING ELINOR OSTROM
50
generation after generation of appropriators
to the rules in the use” (1990: 90). Rather
than acting as a checklist for deciding the
robustness of local institutions, the design
principles are better understood as guides to
help analyse the relative success or failure of
institutional arrangements for CPRs (Ostrom
1999).
The usefulness and validity of Ostrom’s design
principles has been shown in their application
in CPR studies over the past two decades. Cox
et al. (2010) analysed 91 such studies and
found that Ostrom’s design principles are
well supported empirically. The principles
also have their limitations, with some (e.g.,
Singleton and Taylor 1992; Tucker et al.
2007) arguing that issues such as external
socioeconomic factors and urban connections
have not been adequately considered given
their clear impact on CPR management
regimes.
METHODOLOGY
For this study, qualitative research was
used to assess the management of Eritrea’s
traditional woodland enclosures. The village
of Lamza was selected due to its strong
resource management tradition and limited
government involvement. Lamza is located
about 8km south of the national capital of
Asmara, and had a resident population of 430
(128 households) in 2012.
Four focus group discussions were conducted,
numbering between 4 and 6 participants per
group and representative of adult men and
women of different ages. Each focus group also
contained participants representing a variety
of socio-economic backgrounds. To help
provoke discussion on a range of issues related
to the access, management and protection
of their enclosures, several exercises were
carried out, including resource mapping, plant
resource valuation, and seasonal resource
availability. In-depth interviews (with open
ended questions) were also conducted
with the village administrator and other
selected village elders. To obtain a detailed
understanding of how individual households
interact with resources from the enclosure,
and abide by set rules, a semi-structured
questionnaire was also conducted with ten
(8 male and 2 female) randomly selected
household heads.
The data collected were analysed against
Table 1: Design principles that characterise long enduring CPR institutions. (Source: Ostrom 1990:90)
DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Clearly defined boundaries and users
Congruence between appropriation and provision rules and local conditions
Collective choice arrangement;
those affected by operational rules should be allowed to
participate and modify the rules.
Monitoring;
monitors who actively audit common pool resource conditions and users’
behaviour are users and/or are accountable to them.
Graduated sanctions;
sanctions to violation increase proportionally relative to the
severity of crimes
Conflict resolution mechanism;
Low cost, readily accessible and rapid mechanism to
settle conflicts
Rights to organise;
rights and legitimacy of users to devise their own institutions is
recognised by outsiders
Nested Enterprises
(for CPRs that are part of larger systems)
POLICY MATTERS 2014: REMEMBERING ELINOR OSTROM
51
Ostrom’s design principles. The strength of the
hiza’ti
system in fulfilling the criteria of each
design principle was then evaluated.
EVALUATING THE HIZA’TI SYSTEM
USING OSTROM’S DESIGN PRINCIPLES
The hiza’ti system in Lamza was established
about 120 years ago. It was widely held that
a community leader named Kentiba Zere had
initiated the practice of restricting access to
local woodlands in fear that Italian soldiers
(Eritrea was a colony of Italy at the time)
would cut down trees for timber. Subsequent
administrators continued to restrict access to
these areas, devising several rules and bylaws
to help govern resource use and access. The
village has several specialised grazing areas
for small ruminants, for suckling sheep and
goats and free grazing areas for all kinds of
livestock. Compared to these other grazing
lands, the hiza’ti area is strictly managed and
reserved mainly for oxen.
The hiza’ti is located north of the village and
covers about 130 ha (Map 2). The dry-weather
road, which leads to the village, bisects the
enclosure. Each side is open in turn for grazing
for approximately two months each year. The
hiza’ti
is rich in plant species. Elders estimate
that there are 35 types of tree and shrub
species within the hiza’ti.
How does the hiza’ti system perform against
Ostrom’s Design Principles for community-
based natural resource management?
Design Principle 1: Clearly defined
boundaries and users
The hiza’ti has clear boundaries, both in terms
of resource and resource users. Distinctive
features such as a river, a basaltic dyke and
other features separate Lamza’s hiza’ti from
the land of neighbouring villages. Village
houses form the southern border. Use rights
of any resource within the hiza’ti belong solely
to residents of Lamza village. Since everyone
knows each other very well, it is very easy for
users to identify one another. Residence status
is gained by birth or through marriage to a
resident, and non-residents are prohibited
Map 1: Location of Lamza, Eritrea (Cartography by Marcel Morin)