Assessing the role of local Authority institutions on peasants-pastoralists land use conflict mitigation in Tanzania, a case of Kishapu District

Peasant-pastoralists land use conflict remains to be the most serious resource-use conflict in Tanzania. The study investigated the role of local authority institutions on land use conflict mitigation between peasants and pastoralists in Kishapu district, Tanzania. A case study design was adapted. A sample of 100 purposively selected respondents constituting peasants, pastoralists and local authority officials participated in the study. Questionnaire survey and in-depth interview techniques were applied in data collection. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were the data analysis techniques used by the study. The study identified that there is a serious land use conflict involving peasants and pastoralists in the study area. The role of local authority institutions (i.e. Village Land tribunals, Ward Land tribunals, District Land tribunals) is awareness raising on land use and management, land use conflict mediation and arbitration, awareness of land policy and judgment of land use cases. However, land use mitigation measures of local authority institutions found to be less effective in combating the prevailing land use conflicts between peasants and pastoralists. The study recommends local authority institutions to effectively use participatory approaches in organizing the land use planning so that peasants and pastoralists can have opportunities in making decisions pertaining to alternative land uses to ensure a sustainable land resource utilization in Kishapu district