Gender and local floodplain management institutions: a case study from Bangladesh

Floodplain wetlands are the major common pool natural resources in Bangladesh. Men do most of the fishing, but women collect aquatic plants and snails. A women-only, a men-only, and a mixed community based organisation (CBO) are compared, each of which manages a seasonal wetland. The CBOs involving women are in Hindu communities where more women use aquatic resources and belong to other local institutions. In the oldest of these CBOs, women have gradually increased their role as community recognition of their success has grown. In the Muslim community few women collect aquatic resources, and they have no role in the CBO. Community compliance was higher where both men and women played an active role in the process. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.