How can collective action and customary laws help to manage conflicts over natural resource commons in rural communities? Case study of Zambia

This paper has been prepared for presentation at the CAPRi Workshop on Collective Action, Property Rights, and Conflict in Natural Resources Management. The present version has not undergone review. 1 Ambiguity in property rights underlies some customary practices such as bush fires and browsing by livestock which create conflicts in managing natural resource commons (natural fodder and bush animal meats) in eastern Zambia. To minimize risks of potentially explosive conflicts, among different socio-economic groups in the communities embarked on collective dialogues leading to the formulation of by-laws to guide privileges and responsibilities regarding the management of the above natural resources. In this paper, we (i) described the background of the problem and social conflicts associated with natural resource commons in Zambia; (ii) chronicled the process leading to the formulation, implementation and effectiveness of by-laws to manage the conflicts; (iii) conducted a sample survey of 196 households to assess the impacts of the by-laws on households and the different socio-economic groups in the communities. The study showed that collective dialogues and collaboration with traditional leaders can provide important entry points for interventions to minimize natural resources conflicts. Survey results of the impact of the by-laws revealed a remarkable reduction in the incidence of bush fire outbreaks (from 46% to 16%) and grazing that have led to conflicts in managing natural resources in the communities. It also showed that households who practice agroforestry and those headed by women were pleased with the by-laws; but livestock owners, boys and households who do not practice agroforestry perceive that they were disadvantaged by the by-laws. The following lessons were drawn from the study: (i) the distribution of the benefits (or costs) associated with a given natural resource among different interest groups influences the effectiveness of interventions to collectively manage the resource in rural communities; (ii) the possibility of inadvertent privatization of seasonal natural commons should be critically assessed as part of the efforts to minimize resource conflicts; (iii) the effectiveness of collective action on natural resources is closely linked to consensus-building among different stakeholders and willingness to review actions when and where necessary; (iv) an understanding of the dynamics of power structure among different interest groups in rural communities is critical to collectively manage natural resources and minimize conflicts.

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