GOVERNING MOUNTAIN COMMONS: RESILIENCE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN THE ÖTZTAL VALLEY

Rike Stotten; Thea Wiesli; Paul Froning; Irene Pérez Ibarra; Alicia Tenza Peral

Todos os Trabalhos

Trabalho

DOI

10.29327/9786527226680.1446836

Título do Trabalho

GOVERNING MOUNTAIN COMMONS: RESILIENCE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN THE ÖTZTAL VALLEY

Autores

Rike Stotten
Thea Wiesli
Paul Froning
Irene Pérez Ibarra
Alicia Tenza Peral

Modalidade

IRSA - Congresso Mundial de Sociologia Rural (01/10/2025 a 20/01/2026)

Área temática

IRSA 30 - Governance of natural resources in rural areas

Data de Publicação

06/08/2026

País da Publicação

Brasil

Idioma da Publicação

pt-BR

Página do Trabalho

https://www.even3.com.br/anais/sober-irsa2026/1446836-governing-mountain-commons--resilience-and-resource-management-in-the-otztal-valley

ISBN

978-65-272-2668-0

Palavras-Chave

commons governance, collective resource management, mountain farming

Resumo

Natural or cultural resources such as water and grazing land are often shared by many people as so-called “commons.” Due to their high substitutability and the difficulty of excluding users, developing sustainable management strategies is challenging, a situation described as the “Tragedy of the Commons.” However, research has shown that resource users can self-organize to prevent overuse. Establishing effective local institutions that regulate access and harvesting practices is therefore essential for long-term resource use. As part of the interdisciplinary project RESILIENT RULES, this research examines a case study to better understand the rules and norms agricultural communities use to govern shared resources. The project aims to analyze the spatial and temporal diversity of such governance systems and their contribution to long-term resilience under global change. Our study focuses on the agricultural community (Agrargemeinschaft) in the Ötztal valley, Austria, one of 52 global case studies within the project. The research is guided by Elinor Ostrom’s theoretical framework Governing the Commons, which identifies design principles ensuring fair rights and responsibilities in collective resource management. Governance is understood as a multi-level negotiation process among diverse actors. In the Ötztal valley, a remote mountain region in southern Tyrol, we conducted six semi-structured interviews with farmers. The Agrargemeinschaft has historically governed shared agricultural land, including grazing areas and summer pastures (Almen). The transhumance system exemplifies how common land is still actively managed today. Using the analysis method of the “Taxonomy of Rules”, this case stdy is analyzed regarding their adaptability, flexibility, and resilience in responding to dynamic environments. This research contributes to understanding historically evolved and continuously adapted commons governance systems that are crucial for sustainable resource management and resilience in fragile mountain communities.

Título do Evento: 16th World Congress of Rural Sociology and 64th Congress of the Brazilian Society of Rural Economics, Management and Sociology
Cidade do Evento: Porto Alegre
Título dos Anais do Evento: Anais do 64º Congresso da SOBER e XVI Congresso Mundial de Sociologia Rural (IRSA)
Nome da Editora: Even3
Meio de Divulgação: Meio Digital
DOI

Como citar

STOTTEN, Rike et al.. GOVERNING MOUNTAIN COMMONS: RESILIENCE AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN THE ÖTZTAL VALLEY.. In: Anais do 64º Congresso da SOBER e XVI Congresso Mundial de Sociologia Rural (IRSA). Anais...Porto Alegre(RS) UFRGS, 2026. Disponível em: https//www.even3.com.br/anais/sober-irsa2026/1446836-GOVERNING-MOUNTAIN-COMMONS--RESILIENCE-AND-RESOURCE-MANAGEMENT-IN-THE-OTZTAL-VALLEY. Acesso em: 24/09/2026