Managing pastoralists and farmers' conflict in Tanzania. a narrative review of strategies, implementation and challenges
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Date
2025
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
East African Nature & Science Organization (EANSO)
Abstract
Pastoralists and farmers' conflict is a continuous problem in African countries,
including Tanzania, which results in many negative effects, including death,
injury and destruction of properties. Causes include competition for land, scarcity
of land and water, unclear and or trespass of village boundaries, effects of climate
change and inappropriate approaches to solve the existing pastoralists and
farmers’ disputes. Since the relevance of conflict management strategies is
dynamic socially, temporally and spatially, various studies have been providing
a contextual, still fragmented picture of the strategies. Previous reviews have
focused on conflict management in Africa as a whole, in West Africa, in East
Africa and in South Africa. The present review focuses on the Tanzanian context.
Specifically, this review explores the strategies employed in managing the
pastoralists-farmers conflict in Tanzania and challenges observed in their
implementation. A narrative review methodology was employed. The search
words used were: farmers and pastoralists conflict in Africa and in Tanzania;
causes of pastoralists and farmers conflicts in Africa and in Tanzania; strategies
used to manage conflict in Africa and in Tanzania; and challenges facing the
pastoralists and farmers conflict resolution in Tanzania. Strategies employed to
resolve conflict between pastoralists and farmers in Tanzania, based on this
study, include: enforcement of land rules and procedures, mediation, negotiation,
competing and avoiding. The observed challenges were poor implementation of
land policy, poor involvement of the community in conflict resolution and the
growing land scarcity. The review concludes that; prevalence and applicability
of pastoralists-farmers conflict management strategies differ by situation/state of
the community, i.e. existing social relationships; awareness and enforcement of
land rules, laws, regulations and human rights; existing informal institutions and
their functioning alongside the formal institutions; and the role played by trusted
and neutral individuals in the community. While conflict resolution through
peaceful ways, as the conflict resolution theory entails, works and is
recommended, the review acknowledges that there are times when the use of
force becomes indispensable. Selection of pastoralists-farmers conflict resolution
Description
Original Article
Keywords
Pastoralists, Farmers, Conflict Management, Management Strategies
Citation
https://doi.org/10.37284/eajass.8.4.4267