Coastal Common Property Regimes in Southeast Asia

INTRODUCTION This paper examines systems of property rights that regulate human use of coral reefs and mangrove forests in many Southeast Asian coastal communi- ties. These systems are presented as coastal common property regimes and are discussed within a framework of current common property theory in an effort to better understand the nature of effective community participation in coastal resources management. A brief section outlining the common prop- erty theory to be considered is followed by a general discussion of traditional and modern uses of coral reefs and mangrove forests in Southeast Asia. Specific examples of property regimes that