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Abstract
This research is based on a literature review of the contributions of Elinor Ostrom and other authors on the governance of common goods and sustainable development. From his early research on polycentric systems until her studies of irrigation systems in Nepal, under a institutional analysis and game theory framework, Ostrom highlights the importance of social capital, based on trust and reciprocity, networks and forms of participation and institutions developed by those who are participants in the common pool resource, as the most efficient way to manage them, and with better results for the achievement of sustainable development. In addition, the author highlights the importance of technology to underpin efficiency in common goods in conjunction with social capital (for example, water, in improvements and application of efficient irrigation systems), as a response to the challenges posed by climate change and the increased demand for food.