Promoting Conflict Management Mechanisms

New understandings of pastoral land tenure suggest that boundaries between user-groups (usually tribal or ethnic groups), particularly but not only where the resources concerned are non-limiting, are likely to be "fuzzy". Attempts to draw and enforce boundaries between user groups may be ineffective in terms of resource management, and exacerbate or create conflict. In view of this, and of the realities of administrative resources in developing countries, it has been suggested that external authorities should concentrate on developing and strengthening processes of conflict management so that pastoralists can manage conflicts as they arise, rather than assigning resources a priori to one group or another.

There is a growing body of literature on conflict resolution or conflict management. Important concepts are those of trade-offs between different stakeholders, and consensus in which the basis of decision-making is widened by looking at underlying needs rather than immediate demands and thinking creatively about solutions. Grazing conflicts, where a grazing area may be of use to two groups at different points in the year or for species with different feeding behaviours, may be amenable to the latter approach.

Key points about conflict management are:

- the need for "conflict management assessment" to identify the costs and benefits of intervening
- the range of options for improved conflict management which may include no action, use of force, compromise or consensus; and direct or facilitated negotiation
- the need for capacity building of local institutions (traditional or innovatory) and sometimes the provision of third-party mediation.

Related Policy Options

strengthening local natural resource management

Research/Appraisal Methods

Conflict Management Assessment is itself a framework for combining a number of methodologies, such as stakeholder analysis, PRA and institutional review. The results of a programme of capacity-building in conflict management should be amenable to participatory monitoring, and possibly to more conventional M&E approaches based on indicators of conflict.

Key References

Behnke, R. 1997. Natural Resource Management in Pastoral Africa. Development Policy Review 12:5-27

Warner, M., and Jones, P. 1998. Assessing the Need to Manage Conflict in Community-Based Natural Resource Projects Natural Resource Perspectives, No.35 http://www.oneworld.org/odi/nrp/35.html

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