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If a single motif could capture realities in today’s world, uncertainty–and the complexity, which underlies it-would be a likely candidate. Ecological, social, political and economic systems are undergoing change at a rapid pace. Changes occur simultaneously at multiple scales, in space and over time, and through numerous forms of geographical interdependence and historical path-dependency. Economic globalisation, shifting patterns of political governance, and new expressions of community and identity are all part of this growing complexity, as both contributors and responses to it. Interactions within and between processes and systems constantly generate unpredictable outcomes and surprises; the result is a world which is inherently less predictable and knowable. In this context, conventional models which have guided the study of environment and development interventions, based on notions of equilibrium and predictability, fail to hold up.

In this IDS Bulletin, we focus on local natural resource issues as one key area of environmental governance, asking how rural people sustain their livelihoods in an uncertain world and what institutional arrangements mediate their access to resources. We argue that the recognition of uncertainty and complexity requires a significant re-thinking of conventional wisdoms concerning resources, resource users, community and institutions governing common property. The past few decades have seen community-based, decentralised and participatory approaches to natural resource management proliferate in national and international donor agendas. While these approaches have rightly focused on the role of …