Common-pool resource

A common-pool resource is something that can be shared and used by a group of people. As an example, let's imagine that a group of people have a swimming pool. The pool can be used by everyone in the group for swimming, and everyone benefits from having access to the pool. However, if one person takes too much from the pool--by taking more than their share of the water, for example--it could be a problem, because there might not be enough left for the other people in the group. This could mean that some people would be left without access to the pool. So, the key with common-pool resources is to find a way to share them fairly and make sure that everyone gets their fair share.