Social-Ecological System of Common-pool Resource : 30 Years of Water Conflict in Wando

This study shows empirical evidence of the water conflict between Nohwa and Bogil islands in Wando county, focusing on the social-ecological system (SES) framework proposed by Elinor Ostrom. A SES implies interactions among its social, economic, and political settings, ecosystem, users, resources, government, and institutions.

Since people in Wando had suffered from extreme drought in 2017, their single water resource had dried up. Thus, a water conflict ensued. The lack of polycentricity has prevented the SES in Wando from dealing with external variables in an adaptable manner. There has been no centricity among the county council, users, and local government at the rules-in-use level. The governance and the users, along with the institutions that they formed, has made the water resource unsustainable.

The strict, hierarchical, and interdependent relationship between the central and the local governments has not built up an immediate and accurate decision-making process that could contribute to overcoming the crisis. Since the local government should take permission regarding local businesses from the central government before reaching an agreement with the residents, it encounters opposition from the people. While the county council could be the main actor of a change among the institutions related to water management, it only monitors local businesses in a one-time manner. Since climate change effects, like a drought event, has triggered the water conflict between the two islands, this ultimately has showed peoples skepticism toward the governance and institutions of the local government.

After the Framework Act on Water Management of 2018, the Ministry of Environment has been able to maintain its consistency in water policy. While rules-in-form have been made, it will take a long time to evolve them into rules-in-use. It is worth asking if this acts as a higher rule to resolve the 30 years of water conflict in Wando.