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| The Resilient Nature of Common Property Resource Management Systems: a case study from the Guassa area of Menz, Ethiopia |
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Reference |
| Ashenafi, Zelealem Tefera, and N Leader-Williams. 2006. "The Resilient Nature of Common Property Resource Management Systems: A Case Study from the Guassa Area of Menz, Ethiopia." Presented at "Survival of the Commons: Mounting Challenges and New Realities," the Eleventh Conference of the International Association for the Study of Common Property, Bali, Indonesia, June 19-23, 2006. Link: http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/archive/00001829/ |
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Introduction to the Institution |
| Ethiopia was once richly endowed with common property resource regimes amongst its diversity of ethnic groups. The structure of indigenous land tenure systems in Ethiopia were varied and evolved through a complex of processes. The major forms of land right and land tenure system that operated in Ethiopia were Atsme Irist and Gult. However, these tenurial systems were suspended by the 1975 Agrarian Reform, which was proclaimed as a result of a popular uprising against the monarchy that swept the whole of Ethiopia in 1974. Nevertheless, since 1975, the indigenous common property resource system in the Guassa area of Menz has continued to protect local livelihoods. |
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Rules for Management
of the Institution |
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(a) Boundary Rules |
| Social boundaries: The right to use the resources of the Guassa area depended on the land rights and the prevailing land tenure system known within Ethiopia as Atsme Irist (Welde-Meskel 1950; Hoben 1973). Atsme Irist was a right to claim a share of land held in common with other rightful landholders based on an historical ancestor. Those who can establish kinship through either parent may enter a claim to a share of the land from elders controlling the allocation. Hence, under Atsme Irist, the Menz people who could trace their descents from the pioneer fathers, Asbo and Gera, could use the Guassa area. Spatial boundaries: Guassa area is located in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia, at latitude 100 15’- 10’’ 27’N and longitude 390 45’- 39’’ 49’E. (Fig. 1). Politically, Guassa area lies in the Amhara National Regional State of North Shoa Zone, in the Gera-Keya Woreda (District) popularly known as Menz. Menz lies 265 km north-east of the national capital Addis Ababa by road. The total area of the Guassa is 111km2, and its altitude ranges from 3200 to 3700m above sea level. |
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(b) Governance
rules |
| To promote the rational use of resources in the Guassa area, the members of the land holding group in the Astme Irst land tenure system adopted an indigenous institution to manage the common property resources, known as the Qero system. The Qero system worked by choosing a headman (Abba Qera or Afero) who was responsible for protecting and regulating use of each area. After a popular uprising (Abiot) against the monarchy the Qero system of the Guassa area, was formally abolished. The management was passed to eight farmers’ association living adjacent to the Guassa area. The Guassa Conservation Council was formed from the user community as the new common property resource managers to replace the former Abba Qeras and to oversee the activities of the Farmers’ association towards the protection of the Guassa area. Currently, all the Guassa area users from the eight farmers’ association select members of the Guassa Conservation Council. The main function of the Guassa Conservation Council is to control illegal uses of the Guassa area during the closed season. Following the recent drought in 2002/3, the community has shown much greater resolve in managing its common property resources. a series of new Guassa conservation council committees have been formed in each of the eight peasant associations, while a new overarching Guassa Conservation Council Committee has been formed at Woreda (District) level with one representative from each peasant association. |
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(c) Resource Allocation |
| According to Qero system only those persons who could prove their lineage to two pioneer fathers Asbo and Gera were recognised as full members of the user community (ristegna) and permitted to exploit the common property resource on an equal footing. However after the revolution of 1974 non-descents of Asbo and Gera are also allowed to settle in agriculturally marginal land close to Guassa. The Qero system could entail the closure of the Guassa area from any type of use by the community as long as 3-5 consecutive years. The length of closure largely depended upon the growth of the Festuca grass and the need felt by the community. Heavy punishments were imposed on those who use Guassa areas in this closure period. Various bye-laws were enacted by the user community to enforce the protection of the common property resources. This practice of keeping the area closed for certain amount of time was interrupted after the revolution of 1974 but it was resumed after the community started to feel the consequences. |
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Conflict Resolution Mechanism |
| Guassa Committee at the Woreda level works with the Woreda administration, police and justice offices to prosecute offenders who break bye-laws. The bye-laws have been strengthened following the formation of the new councils at Farmers’ association level and Woreda level. The recent bye-laws work under the Idir system, which is an indigenous institution formed to help members in times of difficulty. Prosecutions under the Idir system have the respect of every member of Ethiopian society. |
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Problems Faced by Institution |
| Three important problems faced by the institution that are responsible for the decline of effective management in the Guassa area, following the 1975 Agrarian Reform namely: institutional failure; repeated land re-distribution; and, villagisation. Also closing the Guassa area for long period like in the old days has become a problem as there are lots more people who need the Guassa grass. |
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Changes in the Institution over time |
| The Qero system was in the implementation from 17th century to 1974. It was an indigenous common property resource management institution that arose based on the existing Atsme Irist indigenous land tenure system. The common property resources of the Guassa area have been managed for hundreds of years by these rules. After the uprising against the monarchy in 1974 the Qero system, was formally abolished and the management was passed to eight farmers’ association living adjacent to the Guassa area. However till 1980 the Guassa area was used as an open access resource. When the community realized the consequences of it, The Guassa Conservation Council was formed from the user community as the new common property resource managers to replace the former Abba Qeras and to oversee the activities of the Farmers’ association towards the protection of the Guassa area. Following the recent drought in 2002/3, a series of new Guassa conservation council committees have been formed in each of the eight peasant associations in place of the former Guassa Conservation Council. |
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Purpose |
| To promote the rational use of resources in the Guassa area |
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Country |
| Amhara National Regional State of North Shoa Zone, in the Gera-Keya Woreda (District), Ethiopia |
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Region |
| The Guassa area is above the tree-line, and neither trees nor crop cultivation yield the expected results. Hence, there is no permanent human settlement in the area. However, the Guassa area plays an important role in the economics and survival strategies of the communities living adjacent. Therefore, it is not surprising that the community has a vested interest in safeguarding the Guassa area. |
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Date Of Publication |
| RS-2006 |
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