Management of khazan ecosystems: Contested environments, competing interests and changing institutions

Abstract

Evolution of institutions for resource management of khazan ecosystems dates back to pre-Christian era. The origin of khazans can be traced to the transition phase from food gathering to food cultivation. Traditionally, khazans were managed by cooperative groups of self-regulating tribal communities called the gaunkari, who were renamed as the communidades, during the Portuguese regime in Goa. In 1961, with the merger of Goa and the Indian Union, as a measure of the agrarian reform, legislations were enacted and the responsibility for management of the khazans came to be statutorily imposed upon the tenants’ associations. This chapter maps metamorphosis of khazan management institutions from its origin and larval stage through the present day status.