A Common Resource Is A Resource Like Pasture Or Water That P

A Common Resource Is A Resource Like Pasture Or Water That Provides Ta

A common resource is a resource like pasture or water that provides tangible benefits to all the users. However, an issue of concern regarding common resources is the concern about use and overuse mainly when there are poor management systems to protect the resources. This assignment will briefly describe the environment as a shared resource to determine how it is best managed, the concepts of rivalry associated with it as well as ethical principles involved and the dilemma created when managing this resource. As a common resource, an environment must be managed through collective action. This is because every person owns an environment starting from their homes outward, and every individual has a responsibility of maintaining its visual appeal and its foundation.

No one owns the air and government makes efforts to ensure that every aspect of the environment is under control mainly when it comes to environmental pollution and emission of harmful substances (Dale, 2015). Environment as a resource and a tragedy of the commons is subject to rivalry during and at its management. For instance, grazing and fishing are aspects of the environment and are perceived as a tragedy of commons. This means that with increased use, increased fishing and grazing, the environmental resource gets depleted in time and when other people in use cannot access it, it leads to the establishment of rivalry even in the ways his resource can be managed. Another example of rivalry is present in Forest elephants herd found in Africa.

Forest elephants take well up to twenty years to begin the process of reproduction, giving birth every five to six years reproducing at a far lesser rate than the predators. So with the increase in predators and the decrease in preys being produced (Milman, 2016). This means that predators would eventually hunt other species creating a rivalry between other predators that hunt those species. Although some environmental aspects like air are non-rivalry since it can never be depleted (Dale, 2015). In conclusion, Sustainable development is an ethical principle that helps meet current needs without compromising how future generations shall meet their needs.

This principle is essential and is directly applicable to the environment to determine how environment as a natural resource can be taken care of to cater to the needs of subsequent generations (Sharon, 2016).

Paper For Above instruction

The environment, as a shared resource, embodies a complex interplay of economic, ecological, and ethical considerations that demand collective management to ensure sustainability. Recognizing the environment as a common resource underlines the importance of shared responsibility and collaborative action in safeguarding this vital asset against overexploitation and degradation. This essay explores the conceptual framework of the environment as a common resource, examines the rivalry inherent in its use, discusses the ethical principles guiding sustainable management, and addresses the dilemmas faced when balancing individual freedoms and collective responsibilities.

Environmental as a Common Resource

The environment includes natural resources such as air, water, soil, forests, and wildlife, which provide essential benefits for human survival and economic activity. These resources are inherently shared because no single individual or entity solely owns them. The shared nature of environmental resources makes them susceptible to overuse—a phenomenon often described as the "tragedy of the commons," a concept introduced by Garrett Hardin (1968). In this scenario, individual users, acting in their self-interest, exploit the resources without adequate regulation or restraint, leading to depletion or irreversible damage.

For example, in pastoral communities, overgrazing by livestock can deteriorate pasture lands, reducing their productivity and threatening the livelihoods dependent on them. Similarly, overfishing in international waters can lead to the collapse of fish populations, impacting local economies and biodiversity. Forest ecosystems also face similar pressures, with excessive logging and illegal poaching leading to habitat destruction and species extinction. These instances highlight the importance of sustainable and collective management strategies to prevent resource depletion and ensure the long-term availability of environmental goods (Ostrom, 1999).

Rivalry in Environmental Resources

Rivalry refers to the situation where one individual's consumption of a resource diminishes its availability to others. In the context of environmental resources, rivalry manifests when increased use leads to resource depletion or degradation. For example, overfishing reduces fish stocks, making it more difficult for other fishermen to harvest fish, thus creating competition and conflict. Similarly, overgrazing reduces the quality and quantity of pasture available to others, causing rivalrous conflicts among users.

Some elements of the environment, like air, are considered non-rivalrous because they are not depleted by individual use; however, pollution can turn non-rivalrous resources into rivalrous ones by degrading their quality. For example, air pollution from industrial activities affects everyone, but the tangible depletion of the resource occurs when pollution exceeds the environment's capacity to recover. Another example involves forest elephants, which have slow reproductive rates, making their populations highly vulnerable to poaching and habitat loss. As the elephants' numbers decline, the ecological rivalry intensifies, impacting biodiversity and ecosystem health (Milman, 2016).

Ethical Principles in Environmental Management

Sustainable development is the core ethical principle guiding the management of environmental resources. As articulated by the Brundtland Commission (1987), sustainable development aims to fulfill current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It emphasizes a balance between environmental integrity, economic growth, and social equity. Ethical considerations also invoke principles of stewardship, responsibility, and intergenerational justice, which argue that humans have a duty to preserve the environment for posterity.

Incorporating ethical principles into policy-making involves recognizing the intrinsic value of nature, respecting indigenous rights, and ensuring that resource use does not disproportionately burden vulnerable populations. For instance, enforcing regulations on deforestation and pollution reflects an ethical commitment to safeguarding ecosystems and maintaining biodiversity, which in turn benefits future generations (Sharon, 2016).

Challenges and Dilemmas in Managing Common Resources

The management of common environmental resources involves complex dilemmas, primarily stemming from conflicting interests between individual freedoms and collective good. While individuals may seek to maximize their benefits—such as exploiting natural resources for economic gains—such actions can undermine the sustainability of the resource, ultimately harming the community. The challenge is to design governance systems that align individual incentives with collective welfare. Various models, including community-based resource management and market-based instruments like tradable permits, attempt to address these dilemmas (Ostrom, 1999).

Trade-offs also arise when balancing economic development and environmental preservation. For example, expanding agricultural land may generate short-term economic gains but can lead to long-term degradation of soil and water resources. Conflicting interests among nations on transboundary resources, such as rivers and oceans, further complicate management efforts and require multilateral cooperation and enforcement mechanisms.

Furthermore, ethical tensions emerge when prioritizing economic growth over ecological health or when safeguarding endangered species conflicts with local livelihood needs. These dilemmas demand transparent decision-making processes, stakeholder engagement, and adherence to principles of justice and sustainability (Dale, 2015).

Conclusion

The environment as a common resource necessitates robust collective management strategies that uphold ethical principles of sustainability and intergenerational equity. Recognizing the inherent rivalry among users, addressing ethical dilemmas, and fostering cooperation are crucial to ensuring that natural resources remain viable for future generations. The tragic consequences of unregulated exploitation demonstrate the importance of integrating ecological sustainability, ethical responsibility, and effective governance to sustain the environment as a shared heritage.

References

• Brundtland, G. H. (1987). Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford University Press.
• Dale, L. (2015). Environmental Policy and Management. Routledge.
• Hardin, G. (1968). The Tragedy of the Commons. Science, 162(3859), 1243–1248.
• Milman, O. (2016). African forest elephants may face extinction sooner than thought: Study. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/31/african-forest-elephants-may-face-extinction-sooner-than-thought.
• Ostrom, E. (1999). Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action. Cambridge University Press.
• Sharon, B. (2016). The Nature of Sustainable Development. Scribe Publications.