Implication of Land use Land Cover Change for Resource Conflicts and the Role of Community Leaders in Conflict Transformation: The Case at the Adjacent Districts of Amhara and Afar (Dewe) National Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating LULC detection and the role of community leader in the conflict transformation among the adjacent Afar and Oromo ethnic groups in Afar and Amhara National Regional States. Supervised classification with maximum likelihood techniques were used for image classification and Multi-stage purposive sampling procedure was used for the selection of both study district and kebeles. Both primary and secondary data were used. The primary data was gathered through focus group discussions, key informant interviews, case studies and personal observations. A total of 12 focus group discussions and 42 key informant interviews were held in six adjacent kebeles of the two districts. The period of 2009 to 2018 bare land is increased by 161.21 km2 where as bushed grass land is decreased by 160.15 km2. This may be resulted from population and livestock pressure on land. The major causes of conflict identified were attached resource competition on farm land, grazing land and theft. Institutions applied in conflict transformation in the study area are mostly by customary institutions with some degree of cooperation with the formal one. The result also shows some challenges attached to the law and local judges’ viz. limited legal permissive stance, urbanization, community trust issue against clan elders in the process of integrating the two law sources. This paper recommends full recognition of the joint roles of Makaabon’s and Aba Gada’s through creating reporting systems of local tribunal activities for the state and capacity building for them by the state and NGOs. In order to legitimize the role of the leader and incorporate customary laws into the formal system, the customary law laws of both ethnic groups should be studied and written further, potential points of adjustment and cooperation must be identified, broader policy and legislative options has to be set, and laws contradict the country’s constitution.