Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
14:44
Field Collection and Laboratory Maintenance of Canopy-Forming Giant Kelp to Facilitate Restoration
Published on: June 7, 2024
Revisiting the commons: local lessons, global challenges.
E Ostrom1, J Burger, C B Field
1Center for the Study of Institutions, Population, and Environmental Change and Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA. ostrom@indiana.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|April 9, 1999
Summary
Garrett Hardin
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Environmental Science
- Resource Management
Background:
- The "Tragedy of the Commons" describes resource depletion by individual self-interest.
- Common-pool resources face challenges in sustainable management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore new insights into managing common-pool resources.
- To identify conditions favoring sustainable resource use.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and synthesis of existing research on resource management.
- Analysis of challenges in large-scale resource governance.
Main Results:
- Sustainable use of common-pool resources is possible under specific conditions.
- International cooperation is crucial for managing shared resources like water and marine ecosystems.
- Institutional diversity is vital for long-term survival.
Conclusions:
- Moving beyond Hardin's original thesis, sustainable management of common-pool resources is achievable.
- Effective governance, particularly international cooperation and institutional diversity, is key to preventing resource degradation.
Related Concept Videos
01:50Global Climate Change
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
01:24Biodiversity and Human Values
Human civilization relies on biodiversity in many ways. Sudden changes in species biodiversity result in environmental changes that can modify weather patterns and therefore human civilizations.
01:57What is Conservation Biology?
Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
01:43Sustainable Development
As the human population continues to grow and use resources, we must be mindful of our planet’s natural limits. Sustainable development provides a pathway to maintain and improve human life now while also ensuring that future generations will have the resources that they need. The long-term success of sustainability efforts rests on understanding the interplay between human actions and ecological systems.
02:07Conservation of Declining Populations
Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.
01:30Community Based Intervention
Community-based interventions in mental health represent a paradigm shift from institution-centered care to treatments embedded within the fabric of local communities. By prioritizing inclusion and leveraging existing societal structures, this approach fosters a supportive environment conducive to addressing mental health challenges while promoting individual dignity and agency.
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...
Foundations of Community Mental Health Programs
Central to the success of community-based interventions is the...