Abstract: It is becoming increasingly clear that institutional approaches to property rights play a crucial role not only in resource management but also in influencing environmental consequences of resource use. This paper seeks first to examine the complex inter-relationship between property rights (with specific reference to communal land ownership) and problems of resource degradation and deterioration; and secondly to highlight policy options available to deal with such problems. The experience of the communal areas of Zimbabwe since colonial times is used as a case study.