Authors : Adrine Kirabo, Patrick Byakagaba, Mukadasi Buyinza and Justine Namaalwa
Abstract: Land is increasingly becoming a source of conflicts in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study focused on investigating local people’s perception on the causes of land conflicts and effectiveness of land conflict management strategies currently being implemented in Kasese district western Uganda. We further explored local people’s perception on the potential of Agroforestry in preventing land conflicts. Pre-tested questionnaires were administered to 80 randomly selected respondents. Key informants in local communities and district administration were also interviewed. Descriptive statistics and χ2-tests were used to compare perceptions of the respondents. Land scarcity was the most mentioned cause of land conflicts followed by population increase, grazing of cattle in crop fields and poor land use, respectively. Perception on causes of land conflicts did not vary with socio-demographic and economic characteristics of the respondents apart from nature of occupation. Protection by police was the most effective measure currently being implemented to mitigate land conflicts. Most respondents had faith in agroforestry preventing land conflicts however, their perceptions varied with sex, origin, marital status, ownership of land and occupation. Land conflict in Kasese district is a result of land scarcity and the current mitigation measures are effective although, not feasible in the long run. Agroforestry has a great potential in reducing land conflicts arising from poor boundary, scarcity of grazing land and land degradation which are among the main causes of land conflict in the area.
Adrine Kirabo, Patrick Byakagaba, Mukadasi Buyinza and Justine Namaalwa, 2011. Agroforestry as a Land Conflict Management Strategy in Western Uganda. Environmental Research Journal, 5: 42-48.