Environmental Resource Conflicts in Bui Division of Cameroon

Abstract

Environmental conflicts in the world are very ubiquitous and arise from incompatibilities over the use and control of land resources that portray deterministic propensities. These conflicts in Bui Division are linked to inequality in resource distribution and conflicting claims over fluid and fuzzy boundaries. The study aims to identify environmental resource conflicts triggers and plausible stakeholder mitigation options in Bui Division. Historical and survey research designs were used to obtain primary and secondary data. Semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews were used to obtain information from 504 households and institutions from 10% of the population. This was complemented by secondary data sources from published and unpublished documents. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. Findings revealed multiple environmental resource conflicts including inter-tribal (57.1%), land use (47.2%), farmer-grazer (66.7%) and human-wildlife (10.3%). These conflicts are concentrated in areas of resource scarcity and abundance. The causality factors depict an overlap of complex phenomenon of contest over resources and claims over fluid boundaries, amidst multiple land use practices. Multi-stakeholders/sectorial interventions and remaking of land resource boundaries are salient efforts to reversing the trends of endemic conflicts. This study posits that participatory collaboration efforts are commendable in holistically resolving conflicts, with commonplace signatures seen on the general welfare of communities valued and preserved through environmental resource exploitation activities.