Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Rise Of Community-Based Natural Resource Management Strategies As Explained By Transaction Costs, Keely A. Fisher, Marc R. Donnelly, Collin Adams

Undergraduate Economic Review

Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) is favored over its predecessor, the fortress approach, for common pool resource (CPR) management. We strive to identify variables associated with successful CBNRM programs, and analyze whether their presence transaction costs can explain the shift in favored conservation strategy. By examining nine case studies of large mammals in Africa, we found that out of eight variables, moderate monitoring and adequate program incentives were the most critical various factors in determining CBNRM program outcomes. Furthermore, these variables, as well as others, contributed to a decrease in transaction costs.