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Our paper aims to present a suitable analytical grid to understand and explain the co-ordination modalities of local actors involved in the management of sustainable natural resources. Taking an institutionalist approach, we use the theoretical tools of proximity economics to show how principles of local co-ordination are likely to influence the integration of sustainability issues in the management practices of natural resources. We then consider the determining role played by the quality of the social links in the sustainable management of natural resources. Our analysis shows the importance of local social contexts in the emergence, implementation and survival of a socio-ecological system (SES). We explain how the attributes of social links (kind, quality, density, etc.) contribute to the origin, the smooth running and the sustainability of such local institutional arrangements. In doing this, we highlight the essential role they play in the resilience properties of SESs. Starting from a general study of the institutions of common-pool natural resources management, we present elements for a theoretical formalisation of the robustness of socio-ecological systems. Considering a French case study (Mont-Bar, Natura 2000 network), we discuss when proximity fosters the emergence and survival of collective action with a view to the sustainable management of a resource. We then show the relevance of the developed framework to analyse the commons and explain local sustainable forest management systems.