That’s why freedom of movement is one of the key conditions necessary to successfully share resources. Other necessary conditions include low population densities, low market value of the resources, variability in resource distribution and an ethos of sharing.
Sometimes, there is no “tragedy” in the tragedy of the commons, according to a new analysis that challenges a widely accepted theory.
Scientists have long believed that when there is open access to a shared resource, people will inevitably overuse it, leading to ruin for everyone—an idea known as the “tragedy of the commons.”
But in an analysis of eight case studies from around the world—from foragers in Australia to mangrove fishers in Ecuador—researchers found that people can successfully share and sustainably use resources, under certain conditions.
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