Common lands are a critical element in sustaining local livelihoods and the rural economy in India. 'Commons' provide wide-ranging contributions to village economy – from food, fodder and timber to farming systems, animal husbandry, resource conservation, and recharge of ground water. Common lands are also ecological assets with wetlands and tanks, forests and scarce groves, and play a critical role as catchments of tanks and for groundwater recharge. Kollar and Chikbalapur district in Karnataka and Pratapgarh, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Pali and Chitturgarh district in Rajasthan have a high degree of vulnerability with regard to livelihood, degradation of natural resources, high degree of dependence on common property resources for livelihood, availability of common lands and support of the respective State Governments.