Definition
Tragedy of the Commons
The tragedy of the commons is a concept that describes the overexploitation of shared resources due to the tension between individual self-interest and the collective good of sustainable management.
- The Tragedy of the Commons is a concept in environmental science and economics that describes how shared, unrestricted access to a common resource leads to its overuse, degradation, and eventual depletion.
- The term was first introduced by Garrett Hardin (1968), who used the analogy of a shared pasture (the “commons”) where herders, acting in self-interest, continue to add more livestock to maximize personal gain, ultimately destroying the pasture for everyone.
Core Principles of the Tragedy of the Commons
- Shared Resource: The resource (e.g., ocean fish, atmosphere, groundwater) is accessible to all but owned by none.
- Individual Self-Interest: Each user seeks personal gain (e.g., more fish, more livestock).
- Collective Loss: Overuse by all users leads to degradation, depletion, or collapse.
- Lack of Regulation: In open-access systems, there are no enforceable limits or accountability mechanisms.
- Unsustainability: The system ultimately fails because short-term profit outweighs long-term resource stability.
- “Commons” does not mean public property.
- It actually means a shared, unmanaged resource without clear ownership.
Environmental Implications
- Overexploitation: Natural resources are used faster than they can regenerate (e.g., overfishing, overgrazing).
- Pollution Accumulation: Shared sinks (like the ocean or atmosphere) accumulate waste since no one takes responsibility for clean-up.
- Loss of Biodiversity: As resources collapse, habitats degrade and species disappear.
- Reduced Ecosystem Resilience: The inability of ecosystems to recover from stress weakens global sustainability.
