This special feature presents several papers generated under the EUfunded
‘Cross Sectoral Commons Governance in Southern Africa’ (CROSCOG)
project. The feature builds on knowledge generated in case studies which explored
existing integrated resource knowledge and governance practices of rural people
living in Southern African commons. In earlier generations, especially during the
pre-colonial periods, most Southern African societies developed quite effective
indigenous institutions for the management of entire landscapes and their
component ecosystems, when this was in their interest. Few of these integrated
Southern African systems are effective today as they have gone through massive
changes, for example due to colonial influences, the increased role of the market
and/or conflicts over use and access to natural resources. Meanwhile, most
efforts to rebuild or affirm (the management of) the commons through various
initiatives, have been specific to certain resources or localised areas. Conversely,
the smaller number of ecosystem-wide land use planning initiatives that sought
to enhance overall environmental health have been dominated by technical, antipolitical
approaches that failed to understood the differential roles of resources
in the spectrum of local livelihoods, and failed to achieve the required broader
reinforcement of local governance. This introduction and the papers it introduces
explore opportunities and challenges with respect to integrating scale – landscapes,
ecosystems, and governing systems – into the local commons
