Eleanor Ostrom

Eleanor Ostrom was a political economist renowned for her work on how communities manage shared resources, like forests, fisheries, and water. She demonstrated that people can effectively govern common resources through local,Participatory rules and cooperation without relying solely on top-down regulations or privatization. Her research challenged the idea that common resources are doomed to overuse and destruction and emphasized the importance of community-based solutions, trust, and collective decision-making. Ostrom's insights have influenced policies on sustainable resource management and highlighted the potential for local communities to sustainably steward their environment.