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Sustaining Indigenous forest governance: Institutional interactions and robustness in the Hadzabe case

Schutzmeier, Laura Luise LU (2025) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM02 20252
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
The loss and degradation of forest ecosystems pose a major challenge to global sustainability. Forests deliver vital ecological and social benefits; however, their governance is particularly demanding because they constitute common-pool resources. Although a growing body of research shows that Indigenous communities have developed effective and sustainable forms of forest governance, comparatively little is known about how these systems maintain their success under external political, legal, and economic pressures. Therefore, this study examines the critical case of the Hadzabe in Tanzania, describes their governance system in-depth and examines which system characteristics strengthen or weaken its robustness. The analysis draws on... (More)
The loss and degradation of forest ecosystems pose a major challenge to global sustainability. Forests deliver vital ecological and social benefits; however, their governance is particularly demanding because they constitute common-pool resources. Although a growing body of research shows that Indigenous communities have developed effective and sustainable forms of forest governance, comparatively little is known about how these systems maintain their success under external political, legal, and economic pressures. Therefore, this study examines the critical case of the Hadzabe in Tanzania, describes their governance system in-depth and examines which system characteristics strengthen or weaken its robustness. The analysis draws on semi-structured interviews, group discussions, and legal documents, which were examined using the Social-Ecological Systems Framework and Ostrom’s Design Principles for common-pool resource governance. The findings show that culturally embedded informal institutions are closely interlinked with locally anchored formal governance structures and further supported by non–rule-making actors. Together, these elements form a system that exhibits a high degree of robustness. At the same time, the system faces structural vulnerabilities, including time-intensive conflict resolution processes, and a strong financial dependence on revenues from carbon credit sales. Future research can build on this case as a reference point for comparative analyses of Indigenous commons governance under varying legal, political, and market conditions. (Less)
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author
Schutzmeier, Laura Luise LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM02 20252
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Social-ecological system framework (SESF), Ostrom’s Design Principles, customary land-use systems, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), Sustainability Science
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2026:002
language
English
id
9219353
date added to LUP
2026-01-20 12:12:56
date last changed
2026-01-20 12:12:56
@misc{9219353,
  abstract     = {{The loss and degradation of forest ecosystems pose a major challenge to global sustainability. Forests deliver vital ecological and social benefits; however, their governance is particularly demanding because they constitute common-pool resources. Although a growing body of research shows that Indigenous communities have developed effective and sustainable forms of forest governance, comparatively little is known about how these systems maintain their success under external political, legal, and economic pressures. Therefore, this study examines the critical case of the Hadzabe in Tanzania, describes their governance system in-depth and examines which system characteristics strengthen or weaken its robustness. The analysis draws on semi-structured interviews, group discussions, and legal documents, which were examined using the Social-Ecological Systems Framework and Ostrom’s Design Principles for common-pool resource governance. The findings show that culturally embedded informal institutions are closely interlinked with locally anchored formal governance structures and further supported by non–rule-making actors. Together, these elements form a system that exhibits a high degree of robustness. At the same time, the system faces structural vulnerabilities, including time-intensive conflict resolution processes, and a strong financial dependence on revenues from carbon credit sales. Future research can build on this case as a reference point for comparative analyses of Indigenous commons governance under varying legal, political, and market conditions.}},
  author       = {{Schutzmeier, Laura Luise}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{Sustaining Indigenous forest governance: Institutional interactions and robustness in the Hadzabe case}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}