GEOMORPHOLOGICAL SITES, PUBLIC POLICIES AND PROPERTY RIGHTS. CONCEPTUALIZATION AND EXAMPLES FROM SWITZERLAND

Abstract

E. Reynard, Geomorphological sites, public policies and property rights. Conceptualization and examples from
Switzerland. (IT ISSN 0394-3356, 2005).
The paper analyses the importance of institutional rules for protecting and managing geomorphological sites. A framework, called
Institutional Resource Regime (IRR), is proposed. It considers a natural resource, and more specifically geomorphological sites, in a
systemic manner, and combines the analysis of the property rights concerning the resource and the public policies regulating its
exploitation and protection. Two examples are presented in order to illustrate the analytical possibilities offered by the IRR concept
and the necessity to develop specific and adequate institutional tools in order to guarantee efficient protection of geomorphological
sites.