Common Pool Resource Conflicts: Conventional Perspectives to the Bagungu/Balalo-Basongora Conflict in Uganda

Abstract

"The article examines a recent conflict in Ugandas cattle corridor. The current common cool resources (CPR) comprising the grazing land in western Uganda is the centre of conflict as the increased population and the activities of the pastoralists have created tension and insecurity among the communities. The cattle corridor has experienced a transition process from public good characterised by non rivalry and non excludability to common pool resources (CPR) defined by subtractability over the last centuries. The reduction in public good caused has generated conflicts among the communities as they compete for the utilization of diminishing common grazing land. Though the Ugandan government has intervened to resolve the conflict through relocation of the pastoralists, it has not resolved the conflict permanently. In this paper it is argued that adoption of CPR based approach involving defining rules, adopting co-governance structures among the conflicting communities, introducing surcharges, limiting the herds per pastoralists and giving property rights remain the only strategic intervention."