The Ecology of Stability in Southeast Asia's Forests: Biodiversity and Common Resource Property

It is clear that for decades the traditional, confrontational method of dealing with conflicts in interests over natural resources does not resolve problems. Most methods rely on one party or another fulfilling undertakings which can easily be broken without any framework of checks and balances which ensure consistency and homeostasis. At least two difficulties exist to providing a better basis for resolving conflict; some jurisprudence framework derived from natural sciences and socioeconomics concerning common resource property, and a clearer understanding of the definition of biodiversity. The absence of a decision-making environmental framework for resolving conflicts between environmental 'stakeholders', benefitting all parties, means that any conservation or sustainable use of natural resources will always be corrupted and fail. Moreover the way in which biodiversity is defined changes planning priorities. This chapter offers an insight into both the problems and possible solutions of biodiversity management, or conservation, and common resource property disputes.