"TheTragedyoftheCommons"isaconceptintroducedbyecologistGarrettHardinin1968.Itdescribesasituationwhereindividuals,actingindependentlyandrationallyaccordingtotheirownself-interest,depleteasharedlimitedresource,evenwhenitisclearthatthisisnotinthegroup'slong-termbestinterest.Thetermoriginatesfromtheexampleofherderssharingacommonpasture.Eachherderbenefitsfromaddingmoreanimalstograze,butifallherdersdothis,thepasturebecomesovergrazedandruinedforeveryone.Thetragedyhighlightstheconflictbetweenindividualinterestsandthecommongood,oftenleadingtothedegradationofsharedresourceslikeair,water,orfisheries.Hardin'sworkhasbeeninfluentialindiscussionsaboutenvironmentalmanagement,sustainability,andtheneedforcollectiveregulationorprivatizationtopreventresourcedepletion.Criticsarguethatthetheoryoversimplifieshumanbehaviorandignoressuccessfulexamplesofcommunalresourcemanagement.Nonetheless,theconceptremainsakeyframeworkforunderstandingchallengesinresourceallocationandenvironmentalpolicy.
