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| Water Sharing Institutions in Complex Coastal Commons: A Study of Cochin Estuary, Kerala, India |
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Reference |
| Maliyakkal, George, and Kaleekkal Thomson. 2008. "Water Sharing Institutions in Complex Coastal Commons: A Study of Cochin Estuary, Kerala, India." Presented at "Governing Shared Resources: Connecting Local Experience to Global Challenges," 12th Biennial Conference of the International Association for the Study of Commons, Cheltenham, England, July 14-18, 2008. Link: http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/archive/00003868 |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| The communities in Cochin estuary of Kerala, have designed a variety of institutions that enabled water sharing for multiple uses. The Vypin island of Cochin estuary is one of the largest brackish water bodies in the south-western coastal zone of the Indian peninsula. Encircled by brackish water and estuarine ecological processes, Vypin Island’s economy relies heavily on fishing, prawn filtrations, wetland griculture (pokkali), coir products and recently developed tourism industry. The brackish water around the Island is the most crucial resource that sustains the livelihoods of local population. There are 14 major canals that run across Vypin island conncting its wetlands to veeram puzha (northern part of Cochin estuary).The coastal canals act as the main artery of thickely populated vypin island as it is the most densily populated island in the whole of the world. |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Spacial Boundaries:Vypin island of Cochin estuary, the Island lies at the north west of Ernakulam district and has a length of 25 kms and a width of 4 km. There are 14 major canals that run across Vypin island conncting its wetlands to veeram puzha (northern part of Cochin estuary) and these canals are connected with single large canal called poyil canal which run across these canals. Social Boundaries |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| Lagoon supports multiple uses, a variety of interactive institutions. These institutions are broadly classified as fishery institutions and agri-aqua culture institutions. Some of the rules and norms of informal and formal institutions:1) Fishing gears should not be used in a way that causes obstruction to water transport. It is not allowed use Koori vala (Trammel Net) other than the months of Edavam, Midhunam and Karkkidakam (monsoon season). Fishing with loop net, Koori Vala, Chemeen Vala.is not allowed 2) There have been restrictions imposed on the maximum fee that can be charged from the cash net fishermen of kappu, Thappipidutham (hand picking) fishermen, the scare fishing such as valli thelichil vala.3) Auctioneer is allowed fish only from the stake nets situated near the sluice. It is only with the information of the Panchayath that the auctioneer fish with stake net when the bund is braking for irrigation purpose. 4) Without the permission of panchayath it is not allowed to change the location of existing Chinese nets and those who are changing ownership of Chinese net will have to inform officially to panchayath and the auctioneer of particular year.5) The profit share which has to be paid at Fishermen welfare fund and should paid by the auctioneer. For the construction of roads or any other developmental purposes panchayath is having full right to reclaim some parts of the poyil.The management institution of agriculture in the Vypeen Island consists of “Kadal vypu puthen padam ikya samajam” which consist of 20 different blocks and the institutional setup each block varies with nature of the environment. Each individual blocks consists of individual land owners and the size and number of farmers varies within each blocks. Where “Puthen Padam” is the farmer organization and the “Ikya Samajam” is the apex body.indigenous rice farmers have formed an organization called “Padashekarams” which is a voluntary coalition that provides securities to individual members in their bargains with leasers. |
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Conflict Resolution Mechanism |
| The organization of the indigenous rice farmers called “Padashekarams” has effectively redressed the conflicts among the farmers and other rural stakeholders. |
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Problems Faced by Institution |
| With the implementation of land reforms, many traditional institutional arrangements have disintegrated and a few of them became dormant. The development of tourism industry in the island created higher demand for the wetland to construct hotels and resorts had resulted in the reclamation of major canal systems and blocking the traditional water sharing systems in the island. The network sub feeder canals once used for transporting goods and provided irrigation to the coconut plantations have been eroded due to reclamation of land for real estate and this has resulted in the blockage natural tidal flow providing breeding ground for mosquitoes and other microbes. There was outbreak of viral disease called Chicken guinea in the island spread by mosquitoes which is a clear example how the degradation of the ecosystem can affect the human system. |
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Purpose |
| Regulation of Water sharing for multiple uses |
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Country |
| India |
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Region |
| Vypin island of Cochin estuary |
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Date Of Publication |
| RS-14-18/07/2008 |
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