Conflict among User Groups as Cause for Communal Grazing Land Degradation: The Case of Tahtay Maychew Woreda, Tigray

Livestock contributes a significant role in the livelihood of those people who depend on mixed agriculture and as a main stay of life for pastoralists. In Ethiopia in most cases people largely depend on crop residues, oily and cereal crop products to feed their livestock. Communal grazing lands also play a visible role in providing livestock feed in the country. Despite their contribution communal grazing lands are exposed to degradation. Considering such problem this study was undertaken to show how conflict over natural resources is becoming as cause of communal resource degradation which found in between Adihutsa and Hawosta kebeles of the Tahtay Machew Wereda in Tigray. Purposive method was employed to take the sample kebeles from the woreda and both purposive and simple random sampling were employed to take sample for the study participants. Qualitative methodologies were employed to analyze the data. A total of 40 individuals have been participated in the study process. Key interview, focus group discussions and direct personal observation were the three tools applied to gather data. The finding demonstrates that, conflict among the user group, watershed erosion, and introduction of invasive weed species were identified as the root causes for degradation. The researcher also recommends that; a remedy should be taken by concerned bodies to negotiate the user groups who are conflicting before any action about management on the grazing lands takes place.