Event - Governing shared resources: Connecting local experience to global challenges, July 2008

Posted in Events, Models, Research by fedwards on August 15th, 2007

Governing shared resources: Connecting local experience to global challenges
The 12th Biennial Global Conference of the International Association for the Study of the Commons
July 14 – July 18, 2008
University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, England

Abstract Deadline: October 30, 2007
Email: iasc2008 @glos.ac.uk
Conference Location: University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, England
Conference Theme:
The emphasis of the conference is the exchange of knowledge on shared resources or ‘commons’: between developing and developed world, between practitioners and researchers, and between old and ‘new’ commons. The overarching theme of governing shared resources aims to encourage discussion on new ways of using, managing, protecting and creating what many understand as ‘commons’. The themes recognise the wide variety of understanding over the term ‘commons’ and the need to link practical experience at the local level with larger global commons issues.

In many parts of the world shared resources or commons remain under threat as a result of global economic forces, regional and national political developments, and inadequate legal recognition of common property rights. At the same time the global implications of poor resource management are increasingly recognised in terms of loss of biodiversity, destruction of valued resource systems both natural (fisheries, forests) and man-made (irrigation systems), and global warming impacts. Some of the world’s environmental systems are becoming recognised as ‘global commons’ that should be explored from a common-pool resource perspective. It is here that local experience may hold lessons or rovide insights into problems of dealing with global issues such as climate change and biodiversity loss. How should we manage shared resources at the local, regional, national and global scales? What forms of governance are required and acceptable? These are the questions that the conference seeks to address.

In Europe some of the old traditional common pool resources are now being recognised for their high ecological value and the role they play in developing social and economic capital for local communities. Local communities, resource managers, and governments are starting to realise the multiple benefits that arise from communal approaches to the management of shared resources. In particular they may offer more effective pathways to achieving what is increasingly being called multi-functionality and there is renewed interest in preserving or continuing traditional management approaches.

The long history of commons management in some parts of Europe may hold lessons for problems occurring in other parts of the world and may inform the institutional and policy development of ‘new’ commons such as the global commons, knowledge commons and urban commons. On the other hand, the diversity of methods used in the developing world and innovative approaches to solving problems may benefit developed world countries facing new situations arising from changing agricultural policy, climate change, and the move towards sustainability.

We intend the conference to focus on the exchange of ideas between developing and developed world, between practitioners and researchers, and between old and new conceptions of commons. Policy improvements will only result through discussion and testing of new theories, approaches and new knowledge. The conference will provide a range of opportunities for those with the ‘hands-on’ experience f resource management to engage with researchers trying to understand, synthesize and develop new theories about the collective management of shared resources. We hope to explore these issues through a series of six themes that will link the different elements of the conference together.

Please visit our website regularly for updated information on IASC activities at: www.iascp.org

Tags: climate change, energy, Urban Design and Built Form
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.  Email this post to someone