Conflict over natural resources among pastoralists in northern Kenya: a look at recent initiatives in conflict resolution

Berger, Rachel

doi:10.1002/jid.985

Cited by 24 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…We found a complex mosaic of ways in which access to grazing was practiced and sanctioned, characterised largely by negotiations and interplay between individual actors rather than by firm resource-related rules that just needed to be enforced. This was in contrast to the arrangements described for other traditionally pastoralist communities in the wider region and elsewhere in the world, which often take the existence of indigenous resource-related rules as a given, even where these are challenged by governmental interventions or the increasing heterogeneity of users (Berger 2003;Axelby 2007;Gilbert 2013;Conte and Tilt 2014;Yembilah and Grant 2014). However, it was in line with and provided further and more detailed insights into a line of thought in the transhumance literature (mainly from western and northern Africa) that maintains that open access regimes might not be governed through clear resource-related institutions, whether formal or informal, but through intricate mechanisms based on "procedural rules that allow resource access to be malleable to political negotiation/bargaining" (Turner 1999, 643-645;see also Niamir-Fuller and Turner 1999) and an "ethos of open access" (Moritz et al 2013, 355).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Natural resource governance in lower Omo, Ethiopia – negotiation processes instead of property rights and rules?

Tadie

Fischer

2017

Int J Commons

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Abstract:Research on common-pool resources in the last 30 years has hinged on concepts such as rules and property rights for understanding how access and use of natural resources is managed by communities and other actors. However, a small body of literature on mobile pastoralism maintains that resource governance might not always be based on resource-related rules, but instead on negotiation and general norms of reciprocity. Situations conventionally labelled as 'open access' might therefore not always be as unregulated and unmanaged as they seem. Here, we examine what the absence of rules for resource access and use means in practice, and how resource users adapt such a governance system to increasing scarcity of pasture land. We conducted interviews, group discussions and participatory mapping exercises in two neighbouring areas, Hamar and Bashada, in the lower Omo area in southern Ethiopia. Both groups are culturally closely related to each other, but showed important differences in their ability and willingness to change their institutions to adapt to resource scarcity. In both Hamar and Bashada, access to grazing was generally non-exclusive. Instead, we found a complex mosaic of ways in which access to grazing was practiced and sanctioned, characterised largely by negotiations and interplay between individual actors rather than by firm rules. Both groups were confronted with increasingly erratic rainfalls and insufficient availability of pasture. Strikingly, while the Bashada had recently established a strictly enforced set-aside area to provide grazing for the end of the dry season, the Hamar rejected such ideas and sought grazing in protected areas, which eventually led to conflict between herders and authorities. Reasons for these diverging strategies might be connected to subtle 446 Degu Tadie and Anke Fischer differences in the degree to which decision-making is individualised and social coordination accepted. These seem to have important implications for community adaptability to changing environmental and societal conditions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Natural resource governance in lower Omo, Ethiopia – negotiation processes instead of property rights and rules?

Tadie

Fischer

2017

Int J Commons

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“…Fulani and settled indigenous crop farmers have intensified in recent years, with dwindling natural resources and land availability greatly contributing to the ongoing, escalating conflicts in the century [9]. Berger [10] considered that pastures, moody vegetation, water resources, and land are taken as a common property resource. The increasing number of reports of violence at this occupational boundary makes understanding cattle herder-crop farmer, conflicts an urgent task.…”

Section: Historical Tensions Between Nigeria's Pastoralistmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Analysis of the Impacts of Crop Farmers and Cattle Herders Conflicts on Community Development in Adamawa State, Nigeria

Bulus

Wizor

2020

ARJASS

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The constant conflicts between crop farmers and cattle herders over the years in the Sahel savanna region, particularly the Northeast geopolitical region of Nigeria has been a recurring issue claiming several lives and properties without any holistic approach by the government to ameliorate or solve the problem. In contemporary times, the conflict has assumed a dangerous dimension and therefore, requires urgent measures to curb the menace. It is against this background that this study seeks to investigate the impacts of crop farmers' and cattle herders' conflict on community development in Adamawa State, Nigeria. Three (3) Local Government Areas (LGA) in the state were purposively selected from the 3 senatorial zones in the state. This was followed by the selection of 21 crop farmers and 21 cattle herders from each of the 3 LGAs through purposive and random sampling techniques to obtain a sample size of 126 respondents. Data were gathered with the aid of structured questionnaires and structured interview schedules. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was also conducted with separate groups of cattle herders and crop farmers. Descriptive statistics (mean, frequency counts, percentages) were used to describe the personal characteristics of crop farmers and cattle herders, inferential statistics (Logit regression, chi-square) were used to determine the factors responsible for the cause of conflict and the relationship between the conflict and community development indices in the study area. Results from the findings shows that majority of the crop farmers and cattle herders are male, the perceived causes of the conflicts include encroachment of grazing reserve by farmers, the encroachment of stock route by farmers, grazing of crops by the herders and non-accessibility to water points by the two groups. The study further revealed major impacts of these conflicts to include loss of human lives and reduced household income, reduced access to agricultural land and destruction of infrastructural facilities. The conflict resolution strategies adopted includes but not limited to reactivation of existing grazing reserves, sensitization of conflicting parties by community leaders and amendment of laws on grazing reserves. Finally, the study further linked these constant conflicts to the very poor community development in Adamawa State. The study recommended formal education for both farmers and herders, sensitization of the crop farmers and cattle herders by the government and community leaders on the need for both groups to coexist and implementation of the existing laws on grazing reserves and land use policies by the government.

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“…Hampshire (2002) found among the pastoralists in the Sahel region that long-term livelihood security is very dependent on social networks. In a similar study, Berger (2003) found that the process of herd sharing and splitting, the redistribution of surplus livestock within social networks and the formation of alliances with neighbouring groups all assist in protecting against destitution and in recovery from famine. The mesh of exchange relations reduces the incidence of internal conflict.…”

Section: Forms Of Collective Actionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Use of collective action for land accessibility among settled Fulani agro-pastoralists in southwest Nigeria

Fabusoro

2009

Sustain Sci

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Having identified the use of collective action in gaining access to land in an earlier study, this study examined the forms of collective action being utilised by settled pastoralists in southwest Nigeria for land accessibility and use. The justification for this lies mainly on the optimism of the group theory that individuals with common interests would voluntarily act to further those interests. Six Fulani communities were selected purposively and data were collected from 120 settled agro-pastoralists. Interviews and focus group discussions were used to generate data on social features, livelihoods and collective action. Nine forms of collective action were identified, which were based on social networks and organised effort towards peaceful co-existence. Most of the collective action were rated effective by pastoralists in enhancing their land access. However, using the complete model with the Logit link function in the ordinal regression procedure, the study identified five of the collective actions with a higher probability (P \ 0.05) of removing land restrictions, which were forms of use, farm size, grazing distance, grazing fields and land title restrictions. The most relevant problems to the effectiveness of collective action in the study area were the unwillingness of host communities and the non-participation of pastoralists. It is, therefore, recommended that settled pastoralists invest more on social networks in order to build stronger linkages with pastoral and host communities. This will enhance the ability to engage positively in the spheres of market and civil society. The organised efforts for peaceful coexistence will reduce the incidence of internal conflict.

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Conflict over natural resources among pastoralists in northern Kenya: a look at recent initiatives in conflict resolution

Cited by 24 publications

References 6 publications

Natural resource governance in lower Omo, Ethiopia – negotiation processes instead of property rights and rules?

Natural resource governance in lower Omo, Ethiopia – negotiation processes instead of property rights and rules?

Spatial Analysis of the Impacts of Crop Farmers and Cattle Herders Conflicts on Community Development in Adamawa State, Nigeria

Use of collective action for land accessibility among settled Fulani agro-pastoralists in southwest Nigeria

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