Governance of the commons and conflicts in the management of the Itanhém River basin in the extreme south of Bahia

Abstract

The article analyzes the Peruípe, Itanhém and Jucuruçu River Basins Committee (PIJRBC), located in the extreme south of Bahia, Brazil. The focus of the investigation is to understand the reasons why the said Committee, after seven years of its creation, in December 2012, does not develop environmental management actions that guarantee the preservation of these rivers, in particular the Itanhém river focus of the research. The study follows the IAD-SES Framework Institutional Development Analysis Model (IAD-SES Framework) built by Ostrom (1990, 2009), which results in eight design principles representing an ideal type of analysis of the relationships between society, economy and environment.  Such model allows to compare reality to the ideal type and, thus, to understand the difficulties faced by the Committee. Fourteen management members and 10 water users were interviewed. The research findings reveal that the Committee lacks user recognition; that everyone needs to know their limits and biophysical conditions, need to enforce the rules fairly, and respect the heterogeneity of the community involved according to their various narratives.