Resource Use Conflicts and Biodiversity Conservation in Jozani Ecosystem, Zanziba

Abstract

Resource Conflicts are the major challenge to the responsible Institutions in the management and conservation of biodiversity in Zanzibar due to the existence of multiple and interactive reasons that lead to conflicts. This paper intends to reveal the less known current status of resource conflicts in the management of biodiversity in Jozani ecosystem, Zanzibar. The study employed descriptive survey research design of the causal comparative research design to collect data from 280 respondents which constitute the study population. Descriptive statistics such as percentages, mean, frequency, standard deviation and Pearson correlation were used for data analysis. The outcome of the study showed that there is significant relationship existed between resource conflicts and the management of biodiversity conservation in Jozani ecosystem. The study has implications for environmental policy makers. The study concludes by asserting that unemployment, poverty and scarcity of environmental resources are the major causes of conflict, therefore the call is directed to policy makers to strengthen efforts on resolving conflicts by establishing overall strategies such as establishment of participatory community-based approaches to natural resource management, conflict resolution capacity building measures among the stakeholders, amendment of Laws and expansion of employment to reduce direct relying on using natural resource assets for livelihood.