Abstract:
During the last four decades Tanzania has witnessed several macro and sectoral policy
changes with a trickle down effect, shaping both the management of CPR and livelihoods
of resource users and other stakeholders. The study was carried out in the eastern part of
Same district, focusing on the highland-lowland CPR interaction among the Maasai
pastoralists and the Pare who are predominantly farmers. The main objective was to
analyse institutional changes underlying the management of CPR and the factors driving
the change with emphasis to resources such as forest, water for irrigation and grazing
lands. The theoretical approach for the study is based on Hardin characterization of the
tragedy of the commons which is the basic problem of CPR management and the way
contemporary scholars such as Ostrom and other researchers have tried to approach the
problem. Primary data collection involved the use of anthropological methods and socio-
economic surveys employing household questionnaires, key informant interviews, oral
histories and participants observation. Secondary sources such as government reports
were also used. The results indicate that institutional changes have resulted into resource
use conflicts and the challenge is that these conflicts have been increasing. The types of
conflicts included micro-macro conflicts between conservation authorities and resource
users, inter-micro micro conflicts between farmers and between farmers and herders and
intra-micro micro conflicts between people in the same family or household. The factors
that increased the likelihood of institutional changes included political, technological and
distance to markets. The study recommends ecosystem based institutional framework that
is capable of accommodating the changes, improving people’s welfare and sustainable
management of the CPR in the study area. The opportunity that is presented by the
current policy changes where power is devolved to local resource users and stakeholders
can be utilized to achieve the desired goals of sustainable management of the CPR.
