The Commons Conference deliberated on the economic value and socio-economic impact of the commons by estimating the income generated from the commons. The report compiled by the Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), Federation University and the International Food Policy Research Institute includes data and insights from a paper titled ‘Valuing Ecosystem Services Provided by Land Commons in India: Implications for Research and Policy’.
According to this report, a total land common area of 66.5 million hectares has been identified. Its average annual value is Rs 6.6 lakh crore (USD 90.5 billion). This entire valuation has been divided into ecosystem services that facilitate common life.
The handbook ‘Our Commons’ was also discussed in this event. The topics like commons, commoning and community management and its meaning for India and involvement of communities have been given prominence in the handbook. ‘Our Commons’ explains how we can all use and save shared resources together. It explains how people of the community can manage resources together.
What do you get?
- Food, water and raw materials: These lands provide us with food grains, fruits, vegetables and drinking water. They also provide us with wood, stones and other raw materials that we use to make various things. The total cost of all these is about Rs 65,411 per hectare of land annually.
- Keeping the environment balanced: These lands play a very important role in keeping our environment balanced. These lands clean the air, make the soil fertile and purify the water. The total cost of all this is about Rs 60,698 per hectare of land annually.
- Maintaining the environment: These lands help maintain the fertility of the soil, provide a place for plants to grow and animals to live. The total cost of all this is about Rs 24,078 per hectare of land annually.
- Cultural significance: These lands are also very important for us culturally. We celebrate many festivals related to these lands and enjoy the beauty here. The total cost of all this is about Rs 4,456 per hectare of land annually.
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