This article examines the relation between poor women and men and common property resources (cprs). It locates poor people's use of cprs within a wider focus on sustainable livelihoods, which argues that development initiatives need to build on people's assets and strengths, and identifies cprs as a crucial element of poor people's coping and adaptive strategies. The article considers evidence from India and West Africa with a particular focus on poverty reduction, equity, gender and management issues. Development agencies and governments which have re-focused their attention on poverty in recent years will find that cprs provide an entry point to understanding poor people's perceptions of poverty and for building on their capacities. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
