ABSTRACT
New institutional economics or “new institutionalism” has informed a significant body of research on local common property arrangements and international environmental conventions (e.g. Ostrom, 1990, 2005; Ostrom et al., 1994; Young, 2002). This interdisciplinary research encompassing economics, political science, sociology and anthropology has shed light on the conditions in which voluntary collective action can attain sustainable governance and use of environmental resources, and has identified design principles that characterize successful governance solutions.
