Conflict Resolution and Collective Action for Ecological Restoration in the Highlands of Northern Ethiopia

Land degradation in Tigray highlands of Ethiopia adversely affects agricultural productivity, the environment, food security and livelihoods of smallholder farmers. This paper answers some pertinent questions on mass mobilization of compulsory free labour for ecological restoration in the Tigray region of Ethiopia after years of devastation. The paper brings out details of perception of changes in climate, the process of decision making for collective action, resistance to collective action, enactment and enforcement of rules and regulations, methods of conflict resolution, and arrangements for sharing the benefits arising from communal work. Stratified sampling based on male and female-headed households was used for the selection of households for each of the selected kushets for the structured interviews and focus group discussions from April to June 2011. The survey consisted of household structured survey and focus group discussions with selected farmers. Respondents (98.3%) observed changes in the climate during their lifetime and attributed them to deforestation (53.9%), natural causes (24.9%) and agriculture (19.5%) Most respondents (77.8%) had not observed any form of resistance to community work since they considered the land as their own. Farmers were contented to give free labour and materials for the establishment of grazing area and woodlot because 86.8% of them felt they had spare labour, 30.4% considered it as a source of feed for their livestock, 47.6% wanted to restore the ecology, and 35.3% as source of fuel wood. Conflicts are resolved mostly employing informal conflict resolution mechanisms. The results reveal that communities are motivated by perceived benefits to provide free labour to restore the ecology as a means of sustaining their livelihood. In addition, this motivation is emboldened by societal cohesion, political support, and institutional arrangements that discourage deviant behavior through application of appropriate sanctions.