Linking perceived land and water resources degradation, scarcity and livelihood conflicts in southwestern Tanzania: implications for sustainable rural livelihood

Abstract

In Africa, the land and water resources quality are key factors for sustainable development. The degradation of the quality of these resources leads to scarcities and conflicts, which together threaten the sustainability of rural livelihoods. This work investigated and analysed the livelihoods conflicts over the land and water resources and their scarcities, policies that contributed to the land and water scarcities and the livelihood conflicts and linkage of the conflicts to the resources scarcities and degradation. Implications of degradation of the resources, development policies and livelihoods conflicts on sustainable development are discussed. Literature study, visits and discussions, participatory assessments, observations and questionnaire survey were used tools to collect data. Interviews of the 266 households revealed that, those experiencing the land and water scarcities and conflicts over these resources are significantly (p < 0.001) higher than those not experiencing the scarcities and conflicts. Crop-livestock competition, over the land and water resources causes prominent conflicts. A significant, (p < 0.05) associations of livelihoods conflicts to water shortage and period of water shortage for crop and livestock production were found. Improved accessibility to soil and water management technologies, wildlife-livestock co-existence, recognition of needs and land rights for pastoralists are recommended to minimize scarcities and herders versus farmers' conflicts.

Agricultural productivity and environmental insecurity in the Usangu plain, Tanzania: policy implications for sustainability of agriculture

“…In previous survey, 83% of interviewees reported that, frequencies of drought occurrence have increased and that has been due to the decline in the amount of rainfall and change in its timing. This argument was verified through analyses of data on the quantity and timing of precipitation (Malley et al 2007a). …”

“…A total of 266 households were interviewed in the six villages, the households were selected, from the three common dominant agricultural production systems in the area in a ratio of 134:67:65 of crop farmers, pastoralists, and agro-pastoralists, respectively. Households' production system identification, classification, sample size decision, sampling procedures, questionnaire development and interview procedures were detailed in Malley et al (2007a). However, for the present study, the predominantly agropastoral households (mixed farmers) responded to both the crop and the livestock productivity interviews.…”

“…The policies and legal-frameworks, which allow alienation of the grazing land for use of wildlife and crop production activities, affect livestock productivity and personal security of users of the land resources. The personal security is threatened by social conflicts over the land and water resources among the resources users and between the state and predominantly livestock keeping communities (Malley et al 2007a). This is a result of lack of pro-pastoral development policies in the country, which is due to the absence of strategy for improving the availability and the quality of the grazing and the water sources for traditional livestock sector.…”

Capturing Critical Institutionalism: A Synthesis of Key Themes and Debates

“…Without necessarily directly engaging with the way in which the notion of community has been conceptualised, a number of researchers have provided case studies that problematise the dominant assumptions seeking to explain how communities are constituted and how they co-operate (Johnson, 2001;McDaniel, 2003;Roth, 2006;Galvan, 2007;Malley et al, 2008). Within mainstream approaches it has been acknowledged in some quarters that one of the major liabilities of ideas such as community-based conservation is its titular reference to 'community', as this term is 'one of the most vague and elusive concepts in social science and [one] which continues to defy precise definition' (Murphree, 2000, p. 4).…”

Integrating local knowledge with science and technology in management of soil, water and nutrients: implications for management of natural capital for sustainable rural livelihoods

“…In Tanzania, linkages of the impacts of climate change caused by environmental changes on rural livelihoods are increasingly evident (Madulu 2003;Malley et al 2007aMalley et al , 2007bMalley et al , 2008aMalley et al , 2008b. Madulu (2003) observed a strong link of poverty to change in climate.…”