Natural Resources Based Conflicts and Their Gender Impacts in the Selected Farming and Pastoral Communities in Tanzania

Abstract

In this paper we provide an evidence on how natural resources utilization in the farming and pastoral communities in Tanzania are influencing conflicts that have impacts on gender. We further reveal various types of conflicts that are affecting communities that integrate farming and pastoral societies. Literature has indicated that land conflicts can have disastrous effects on individuals as well as on groups and even entire nation. Many conflicts that are perceived to be clashes between different cultures are actually conflicts over land and related natural resources. Indeed, there are a long historical record of fluctuating conflicts, competition and co-operation between settled farmers and pastoral or transhumant herders. This includes periods of violent herder domination over settled farming production systems and the conversion of former pastoral lands to cultivation. This acknowledgement is not an exception in Tanzania and particularly in Kilosa and Mvemoro Districts in Morogoro Region where this case study is concentrated on.