This document discusses natural resource conflicts, their causes, actors involved, and strategies for management and resolution. It defines natural resource conflicts as disagreements over access to, control of, and use of natural resources. The main causes outlined include competing demands and needs between user groups, exclusion from participation, contradictions between local and introduced management systems, misunderstandings about policies and objectives, inequitable distribution, and more. Key actors range from local communities to governments and businesses. Conflicts can be utilization-related, management-related, ownership-related, or policy-related. Strategies proposed for reducing conflicts emphasize participation, decentralization, addressing causes, capacity building, and promoting sustainable resource use and livelihoods.

1. Conflict in using and Managing
Natural Resources
Prepared By:- Submitted To:-
Sagar Baral Er. Arjun Gautam
2019/MHDE/06 SOE,Pokhara

2. Introduction
• NATURAL RESOURCE CONFLICTS are disagreements and disputes over
access to, and control and use of, natural resources.
• These conflicts often emerge because people have different uses for
resources such as forests, water, pastures and land, or want to
manage them in different ways.
• Disagreements also arise when these interests and needs are
incompatible, or when the priorities of some user groups are not
considered in policies, programmes and projects.
• Such conflicts of interest are an inevitable feature of all societies.

3. Introduction
• USAID (2006) has defined natural resources conflict “as the situation
where the allocation,management,or use of natural resources result
access to natural resources to an extent that significantly diminishes
human welfare”.
• There is no internationally accepted definition of what constitutes
natural resource conflict, specifically situations where the allocation,
management, or use of natural resources results in: 1) violence, 2)
human rights abuses, or 3) denial of access to natural resources to an
extent that significantly diminishes human welfare.

4. Causes of Conflict
• Natural Resources conflicts have always been with us,due in part to
the multiple and competing demands on resources.
• Conflicts can arise if user groups are excluded from participating in
natural resources management.
• They also occur if there are:- contradictions between local and
introduced management systems in policy,programs and projects.
• Misunderstanding and lack of inforations about policy and program
objectives.
• Contradictions or lack of clarify in laws and policies.
• Inequity in resources distribution

5. Causes of Conflict
• Poor policy and programme implementations.
• Scarcity of natural resources.
• Changing land use systems.
• Population pressure on resources.
• Lack of effective monitoring system
• Political instability
• Lack of co-ordination between different agencies.
• Policy imposed without local participation.
• Poor identification of and inadequate consulation with stakeholders.

6. Actors of Conflict
• Natural resources conflict occur at various levels and involve a variety
of actors.
• They range from conflicts among local men and women over the use
of trees, to conflicts among neighbouring communities disputing
control over woodland, to villages, community-based organizations,
domestic and multinational businesses, governments, international
development agencies and NGOs in conflict over the use and
management of large forest tracts.
• Most conflicts are characterized by the presence of multiple
stakeholders who themselves may have subgroups with varying
interests.

7. Types of Conflict in Natural Resources
• On the basis of cause of conflict,it can be divided on utilization related
conflict,management related conflict,ownership related conflict and policy
related conflict.
• The utilization related conflict is due to the uneven access to and control
over the resources and benefits sharing among different sectors.
• The Management Related Conflict is due to exclusion of certain
groups/actors in the management of natural resources.
• This kind of conflict arises in Nepal due to the exculsion of women and
disadvantaged minority group in the utilization and management of natural
resources such as community forest,watershed management,irrigation
cannel management,drinking water management etc.

8. Types of Conflict in Natural Resources
• The ownership related conflict is due to ownership dispute among the
institution or communities.Demarcation of resources
boundary,registration process to some of the governmental organization
fpr legalization,naming of the resources group/committee are the major
example in Nepalese cases.
• The Policy related conflict occurs due to the policy dispute between
communities and between community and national policy.For eg,The
latest government decision forming one National park and three
conservation areas has brought the disputes between the local
community and the central policy making.

9. Land Related Conflict
• Boundary Demarcation
• Change in ownership
• Land capture by different groups
• Tenancy right
• Tenant eviction
• Development of infrastructure in particular site
• Obstraction of existing path
• Biased land quality assessment and measurement
• Public land encroachment
• Fraudulent sale
• Land fragementation
• Order of sucession(gift of parental land holding).

10. Forest Related Conflict
• Differential use of forest
• Ownership of forest
• Demarcation of forest boundary
• Identification of user
• Selection of management
• Distribution of forest product
• Payment of royalties
• Illegal collections of NTFPs by outsiders
• Hunting and poaching of wild animals
• Collection of medical plants by traders
• Political influence of forest management
• Change in forest related policy.

11. Water Related Conflict
• Sources dispute
• Sharing of drinking water
• Irrigating land
• Payment of compensation
• Maintenance of drinking water supply and irrigation system
• Role and responsibilities of water related committee.
• User groups and government technicians disputes

12. Pasture Related Conflict
• Demarcation of pasture land with forest and agricultural land
• Conflict between herders and agriculturalist
• Overgrazing
• Grazing rights
• Ownership of pasture land
• Inclusion/exculsion inpasture management.

13. Key Conflict management and resolution
Strategies
• Avoidance:- Acting in a way to keep a conflict from becoming
publicly acknowledged.
• Adjustifications:-relying on judge or administrator to make a
binding decision.
• Mediation:-using a third party to facilities the negotiation
process.(A mediator lacks the authority to impose a solution).
• Negotiation:-following a voluntary process in which parties reach
agreement through consensus,
• Arbitration:-submitting a conflict to a mutually agreeable third
part who renders a decision.
• Coercion:-threatening or using force to impose one’s will.

14. Alternative Conflict Mangement Approach
• Addressing conflict is a pre-requisite for sustainable natural
resources management.
• Conflicts over natural resources are growing in
scope,magnitude and intensity.
• If not addressed in an effective and timely manner,natural
resources conflicts can be adversely affect community
livelihoods and results in resources degradation.
• Alternatives conflict management offers an innovative
multidisciplinary approach to understanding,analyzing and
managing conflicts both before and after they occur.

15. Alternative Conflict Mangement Approach
• It seeks the development of participatory and consensus-
building strategies,and it builds upon existing formal and
informal conflict management mechanism within local
communities.
• It also seeks to strength the capacity of local institutions and
communities to manage conflict and promote substainable
resources management.
• Appropiate conflict management and resolution strategies
need to be incorporated into natural resources management
policies,programs and projects.

16. Natural Resources Conflict Reduction
Strategies
• Decentralization and devolution of right
• Forest law enforcement
• Participatory natural resources management
• Effective Policy formulation
• Research and analysis of causal relationship
• Scientific Land reform/land Ownership
• Indigeneous Land right
• Improve governance and institutional accountability.
• Negotiation/regular interaction

17. Natural Resources Conflict Reduction
Strategies
• Tenture and user right
• Harvest regulation of natural resources
• Sustainable use of natural resources
• Co-operate rather than compete in limited resources
• Fair distribution of benefits of Natural resources
• Adequately identify and involved the stakeholders
• Information base….commumities
• Co-ordination among different agencies/sectors

18. Natural Resources Conflict Reduction
Strategies
• Institutional capacity building
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Appropriate resettlement scheme
• Legal advice and orientation,awareness
• Create alternative livelihood opportunity
• Address the cause of conflict.

19. Refrences
• https://www.fao.org/forestry/21572-
0d9d4b43a56ac49880557f4ebaa3534e3.pdf
• Bishnu Raj Upreti,Nepal Centre for Contemporary Research (Conflict
Management in Natural Resources - A study of Land, Water and Forest
Conflicts in Nepal.
• Edwin E. Krwnpe and Lynn McCo Techniques for resolving conflict in natural
resource management.
• CONFLICT OVER NATURAL RESOURCES AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL IN
NEPAL INCLUDING ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ARMED CONFLICT ,USAID
• www.google.com
• https://www.helvetas.org/en/switzerland/what-we-do/our-topics/voice-
inclusion-cohesion/conflict-transformation/natural-resources-and-conflict
• https://www.academia.edu/12594993/Natural_Resource_conflict_Manage
ment_and_Resolution.

20. Any Quries?
THANK YOU!