Assessment of conflicts and their management mechanisms in Kazimzumbwi forest reserve, Kisarawe district-Tanzania
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Date
2015
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
This study was done in Nzasa and Chanika villages around Kazimzumbwi Forest Reserve with the aim of understanding the nature and causes of conflicts over forest resources and how these conflicts could be managed. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques were employed for data collection. The qualitative research methods consisted of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions while quantitative research method consisted of structured household interviews. The sample population included 399 household members, 24 discussants and 6 key informants. The household members were selected randomly while the discussants and key informants were selected based on purposive sampling.
The results showed that the main types of conflicts experienced in Kazimzumbwi Forest Reserve were veridical, misattributed and contigent conflicts. The veridical conflict arose because of incompatibility of desires in forest management; misattributed conflict resulted from political interferences on forested land and contigent conflict was because of failure of recognition of community interests and needs. The causes of the conflicts were, mainly, forest boundary establishment, lack of accessibility to forest products, slow attitudinal change in forest management, ministerial contradictions, inadequate information and communication sharing, competition for forest resources and lack of participation. Conflict management mechanism in place was mainly coercion, which, however, was ineffective; communities adjacent to the forest were neither communicated nor involved in managing the conflicts. There were also ministerial contradictions between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Human Settlement Development on the forested land. These factors escalated the conflict in Kazimzumbwi forest reserve between the government and Nzasa and Chanika villages. The study concludes that the conflict in Kazimzumbwi forest reserve has existed for a long period because there were no efforts purposively done by the government to resolve or manage the conflicts.
The study recommends that, in order to resolve or manage the conflicts in Kazimzumbwi Forest Reserve between the government and Nzasa and Chanika villages, effective conflict management mechanisms, effective communication platforms between the communities and government as well as NGOs have to be established. Joint forest management is needed. This is because managing or resolving conflicts needs multi-dimensional aspects such as participatory aspects, tangibility and visible aspects and effective communication network.
Description
Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark ()
Keywords
Kazimzumbwi, Kisarawe, conflicts
Citation
William, J (2015) Assessment of conflicts and their management mechanisms in Kazimzumbwi forest reserve, Kisarawe district-Tanzania. Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Dar es Salaam.