ABSTRACT
Historical analysis of commons governance is of extreme importance as, over time, commons may become non-commons and vice versa. Moreover, the same resource can have two faces (commons and non-commons) according to its varied uses. This chapter analyses how commonisation of a resource through a specific socio-economic activity and water use may simultaneously lead to its decommonisation in other areas. Isla Mayor social-ecological system (south-west Spain) is examined as a case study, where Guadalquivir River is used for three main purposes: rice cultivation, fishing, and tourism. The results show that the evolution of the rice farming governance configuration towards a multi-level governance system has strengthened the commonisation of the river, but at the same time, rice farming has been an obstacle to the commonisation of the river for tourism. Rice activity, together with excessive governmental restrictions and changes in fishing practices, have paved the way for the decommonisation of the river for fishing. This study points to the need for a holistic relationship between local people and their resources, more collective power, and both vertical and horizontal links in the governance configurations of all three activities of the area in order to maintain the river as a commons.
