Common Property Resources in Rural India: Dependence, Depletion and Current Status

A large majority of over 75 cr rural population of India are dependent on Common Property Resources (CPRs) for their livelihood. But with the spread of liberalization, privatization, globalization and market-orientation even to the ordinary business of people’s lives, the CPR base of the country is depleting very fast. If such depletion persists, it could be alarming. In the interests of providing livelihood support to the rural folk and ensuring sustainable overall development of the economy, conservation of CPRs assumes significant priority. A comprehensive CPR management policy of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) kind with thrust on local stakeholders is suggested.