Participatory GIS in Mapping Local Context of Conflicts over Pastoral Resources: Case of Duru Haitemba Community Forest in Babati district, Tanzania

Abstract

Conflicts over pastoral resources are not new among pastoralist communities. This paper presents findings of a research on Participatory GIS (PGIS) in mapping local context of conflicts over pastoral resources which was carried out in Duru-Haitemba community forest, Manyara region in Tanzania. Community mapping and PGIS were used interchangeably in the research. The research specifically intended to i)identify existing grazing resources use, access and conflicts among pastoralists and other land users, ii)study how PGIS can be used to identify grazing resources, pastoralist’s uses and access interaction iii)examine the effectiveness of PGIS approach as tool for assessing spatial temporal distribution of conflicts. PGIS combined with interviews, geo-coded transect walk, observation and focus group discussion were used to understand actual situation in the field. Community mapping and PGIS outputs were used to ground truth conflict areas after mapping. The outputs combined with different processes in Arc GIS and ERDAS facilitated visualization of conflicts and its distribution. 79 heads of households, 7 village leaders and professionals were identified through systematic random sampling for interview. The research found out that there were conflicts over pastoral resources among agro-pastoralists and other actors at village, district and indirectly at national levels. Conflicts are spatially distributed in the forest areas, around water sources and along water bodies due to incompatible interests in those areas among different actors. Decisions to convert grazing land to other uses were made with less or no participation of the concerned actors. Population increase, more demand of farmlands and conservation has reduced quantity of grazing resources. Inadequate coherency and linkage in policies and directives demonstrated negative impact on prior made decisions. PGIS through community sketch mapping proved to be useful tools for examining conflicts and their spatial-temporal distribution, which could not be done through conventional GIS and remote sensing by interpreting and classifying images. Therefore PGIS in context of this study is considered as Participatory Digital Mapping that empowered participants and community through knowledge sharing and raising awareness during and after the mapping exercise.