The role of property rights for land degradation and land use conflicts [Elektronische Ressource] : the case of Wetland in Gujranwala (Pakistan) / Tasneem Akhter. Gutachter: Konrad Hagedorn ; Harald von Witzke ; Hafiz Zahid Mahmood

Akhter, Tasneem

Informations

• Publié par: humboldt-universitat_zu_berlin
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 13
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 8 Mo

Extrait

The Role of Property Rights
for Land Degradation and Land Use Conflicts.
The Case of Wetland in Gujranwala (Pakistan)



Dissertation
Zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades
Doctor rerum agriculturarum
(Dr. rer. agr)


eingereicht an der
Landwirtschaftlich-Gärtnerischen Fakultät
der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

von
M.Sc. Tasneem Akhter



Präsident der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Prof. Dr. Jan-Hendrik Olbertz


Dekan der
Landwirtschaftlich-Gärtnerischen Fakultät
Prof. Dr. Frank Ellmer


Gutachter: 1. Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Konrad Hagedorn
2. Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Harald von Witzke
3. Prof. Dr. Hafiz Zahid Mahmood (Pakistan) vii
Acknowledgement

First of all, I owe my profound thanks and deepest sense of gratitude to Allah Almighty, who
blessed me with determination and ability to complete my research. I firmly believe that Allah
never Spoil any effort. Every piece of work is rewarded according to the nature and degree of
devotion for it. I also humbly say my thanks to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who asked
his followers to seek knowledge from the cradle to grave.
Apart from the efforts of me, the success of this task depends largely on the encouragement
and guidelines of many others. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the people
who have been instrumental in the successful completion of this dissertation.
It is a privilege and great pleasure to place on record my sincere thanks to Prof. Dr. Dr.
Konrad Hagedorn, my supervisor. This dissertation could not have been written without the
guidance and encouragement of him. I acknowledge with immense pleasure and want to
describe my feelings of respect for his valuable support, inspiring criticism, zealous interest,
and personal involvement in my work. I gained a great deal of challenging experience during
work with him, which enabled me to develop an understanding of the problem.
I would like to show my greatest appreciation to Prof. Dr. Dr. Harald von Witzke, who
encouraged me to study with Prof. Hagedorn. I can’t say thank you enough for his tremendous
support and help. I feel motivated and encouraged every time when I went to him.
I am deeply indebted to my colleagues Dr. Violeta Dirimanova and Dr. Beatrice Marelli,
who were really helpful for me in my hard time and their continuous encouragement and
guidance was very supportive of me to find my way. They took the pain to go through the
dissertation and make necessary correction as needed. Similarly, my deepest thanks and
appreciation to Mrs. Sigrid Heilmann, for correcting various documents of main with attention
and care.
I offer my regards and blessing to all those who supported me in any respect during the
completion of my work. I owe a great many thanks to a great many people who helped me and
supported me during the writing of my dissertation specially Dr. Rabbani Imtiaz for his
continuous help and guidance while listening or reading my ideas. Muhammad Tariq Majeed
from Glasgow was also a source of energy and guidance for refining my thoughts and giving
new directions for the research. viii
I also extended my heartfelt thanks to my institute of Resource Economics and my faculty
members without whom this dissertation would have been a distant reality. I as well
appreciated the efforts of Mrs. Ines Jeworski and Mrs. Renate Judis, who have kindly been
ready to help me, whenever I ask. Special thanks to all my fellows, Alexander Perez-
Carmona, Srinivasa Reddy Srigiri, Raghu Chaliganti and Anna Buschmann for their
cooperation and helpful attitude.
I owe the numerous debt of gratitude to the villagers, who intimately accepted me in their
village and provided me their personal information for my study. I am highly obliged to the
Local organization Roshni, for arranging my stay in the field. During my field survey, I
received great help from Soil Fertility Research Institute and Planning Division for the region
of Gujranwala. I would like to say thank for providing me the needed documents and data.
Not forgotten Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC) for their financial support,
which was most needed for this task. I am also wanted to pay my regards to German
Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), for all those services which they provide me during
my stay in Germany. Eiselen Foundation provided me the funds for my field survey in
Pakistan, without which my study would never have been possible. Because of their support, I
would never procrastinate the completion of my task.
There are no words to describe my sensation of respect and affection to my father, sisters,
brothers, nieces and nephew, because it was too difficult to attain this target without their
prayers, love and moral support. I also pay my sincere regards to my friends Samreen, Aasma,
Hajra, Sanam and Tasneem Zafer for their time, which I spend with them, and they told me
how to survive and who to face the people. They shared their ideas with me regarding to
spend a life in a foreign country. The guidance and support received from all the friends was
vital for the success of the task. I am grateful for their constant support and help.
Some of my special feelings for the sprit of my mother, which I cannot express in words,
but I feel them in the deepest portion of my heart. She always expected my success in the life,
but was not able to see it.
I would like to pay my regards and appreciation to all.

Berlin Winter 2010-11 Tasneem Akhter
ix















To my father, my late mother and my sisters x
Table of Contents

Aknowladgement vii
Table of Contents x
List of Tables xiv
List of Figures vi
List of Abbreviations xix

1 Introducti on 1
1.1 Objectives 4
1.2 Theoretical Approach
1.3 Methodological Approach and Empirical Setting 5
1.4 Structure of the Study 6

2 Land Degradation: The Problem of the Study 9
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Land: Meaning and Definition 10
2.3 Land Degradation: Meaning and Understanding 11
2.3.1 Land Degradation as a Natural Hazard 12
2.3.2 Land Degradation as Anthropogenic Factor 16
2.4 Land Degradation at World Level 18
2.4.1 Causes of Land Degradation in Asia 22
2.4.2 Causes of Land Degradation in South Asia 26
2.5 Land Degradation in Pakistan 28
2.6 Summary and Conclusion 34

3 Theoretical Background of Institutional Analysis of Land Degradation 37
3.1 Introduction 37
3.2 Definitions in Institutional Analysis 38
3.2.1 Institutions
3.2.2 Formal and Informal Institutions 39
3.2.3 Property Rights 43 xi
3.2.4 Property Rights and Resource Management Regimes 46
3.2.5 Transaction Costs 48
3.2.6 Land Use Change 52
3.2.7 Conflicts 53
3.2.8 Land Distribution as a Main Reason of Conflicts 54
3.3 Analytical Framework 56
3.4 Analytical Framework for the Analysis of the Institutions causing Land
Degradation 59
3.5 Conflicts among Actors regarding Land Degradation 64
3.6 Property Rights Systems for Land 69
3.7 Summary and Conclusion 75

4 Methodology and Descriptive Case Study Analysis 77
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Research Strategy 78
4.3 Case Study Design 80
4.4 Field Research Process 82
4.5 Data Collection 83
4.5.1 General Group Discussion 83
4.5.2 Interviews with Landowners 84
4.5.3 Interviews with Experts 86
4.6 Triangulation 88
4.6.1 Personal Observation
4.6.2 Document Studies 89
4.6.3 Photographs 90
4.6.4 Informal Interviews with other Actors
4.7 Background of the Region