Linking the social and the spatial in forest related conflicts:the case of Eastern Mau forest adjacent communities, Kenya

Abstract

Conflicts over natural resources are increasing in number and severity. This problem has been compounded with the increasing population and scarcities of natural resources in developing countries. Whereas studies have attempted to explain the sources of conflicts in Kenya, majority are limited by the fact that they address causes of conflict in a single dimension (for example; either resource or ethnicity). However, several conflict authors suggest that conflicts are usually complex and multifaceted and it pays to address them in different dimensions. In contributing to advancement of knowledge on the sources of conflicts, this study was planned to investigate the sources of conflicts with the guidance of social identity theories. The study further sought to highlight the role of beliefs, values and attitudes of different parties to conflict in the context of geographical factors. The research employed a mixed methods data collection strategy. Methods of data collection included semi-structured and unstructured interviews, questionnaires, observation, and geo-coded transect walks. The respondents included community members residing adjacent to the forest reserve in Eastern Mau, as well as key informants involved in the conservation or peace efforts within the community such as forest officers, local administration and nongovernmental representatives. Qualitative data obtained in this study were organized in NVIVO soft-ware where they were analyzed by way of thematizing. Quantitative data was organized in an SPSS soft-ware where analyses of frequencies and correlations between variables were done. The study further employed positional data analysis techniques to project conflicts as observed and reported on maps. This was done by overlaying spatial data (collected during transect walks, xv where villagers identified some of the conflict hot spots) on the land cover/use maps and generating a composite map that visualized conflicts in relation to geographical features. When viewed through a social perspective, study findings show that conflicts in Eastern Mau (whether violent or latent) form an ethnic identity pattern. An application of the spatial tools to the study results reveals geographical variations in forest conflicts. Some conflict are shown to have occurred in the context of resource (pasture and land) competitions while others seem to have been motivated by competitions during national elections with no indication of direct bearing to the forest resource. This study envisions that identity as a fundamental need plays an important role in determining the different perceptions (for example on natural resources and election processes) and that variations in these perceptions can be the basis for conflict behavior. The study concludes that conflicts in forestry context are likely to escalate whenever the social (identity) factors interact with the geographical (spatial) factors. The study recognizes that in the past, there have been some success stories of community initiated and driven conflict resolution processes in the study area. Therefore, the study recommends that ongoing efforts on national cohesion and integration should consider integrating traditional conflict resolution mechanisms as well as mediation processes in Kenya‘s peace building process especially in potentially conflict zone