Forms and Drivers of Conflicts between Farmers and Pastoralists in Kilosa and Kiteto Districts,Tanzania

Farmer-pastoralist conflicts represent a significant challenge for rural communities and the Tanzanian government.The study objectives were to(i)determine existing forms of conflicts and(ii)identify drivers underlying resource use conflicts.The manuscript is based on a study that adopted a cross-sectional research design whereby data were collected from 373 randomly selected respondents from Kilosa and Kiteto districts,Tanzania,while primary data were collected through interviews,observations and focus group discussions,secondary data were gathered from government reports and newspapers.Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science(SPSS)version 20.0.Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out for quantitative data.Factor analysis was used to extract component factors on drivers and forms of conflicts,whereas content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data.Generally,study results show that there were three main forms of conflict namely farmers versus pastoralists over village boundaries;farmers versus pastoralists over livestock routes and farmers versus farmers over the land.In addition,four main drivers underlying resource use conflicts were identified namely crop damage by livestock;inefficiency of government officials in taking action to diffuse conflicts;excessively large herds of cattle and corruption.It is therefore recommended that pastoralists should be provided with essential services such as water in order to minimize movement of their livestock herds from their designated villages to other areas in search of water.This would,in the long run,minimise crop damage which has been a major source of conflict.In addition,proper land use planning is recommended to minimize resource use conflicts.

Why has canine rabies remained endemic in the Kilosa district of Tanzania? Lessons learnt and the way forward

Background:Domestic dogs are the main targets for rabies control as they are the principal reservoir for transmission of the rabies virus to humans and other domestic animals.The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that contribute to the rabies virus infecting the human population in a rural community of Eastern Tanzania.Methods:Using a cross-sectional study design,field visits were conducted to gather information on villagers’knowledge on and practices associated with canine rabies control and dog vaccination campaigns.Results:A total of 248 individuals were interviewed in the Kilosa district,Tanzania.Almost two-thirds(61.3%)had a primary school education.The majority(91.1%)of the respondents were aware that rabies is acquired through dog bites and 66.9%knew about the clinical signs of rabies in an animal.Very few(17.7%),however,were aware of the clinical signs of rabies in humans.Only 20.4%of the respondents knew how rabies is controlled in dogs and 71%were not aware of dog vaccination campaigns.The average number of dogs kept per household was 4±3.3;70.0%of the respondents had one to five dogs,28.3%had six to dog dogs,and 1.6%had 16–20 dogs.The dogs were primarily used to guard livestock and property,and to hunt.About 59.7%of the respondents indicated that rabies was a public health problem.Low vaccination coverage was observed in the study area,with previous mass vaccination campaigns covering only 24.4%of the dog population.Dogs appeared to have limited value in the studied community.Furthermore,there were no proper waste disposal facilities and oftentimes wild canids and felids visited the villages to scavenge on kitchen leftovers.Conclusion:Although communities in the Kilosa district had knowledge on rabies in dogs,they were not aware of the public health implication of the disease,which thus led a poor response during mass dog vaccination campaigns.Establishment of a well-coordinated rabies control program,strategic public health awareness campaigns,and active and passive surveillance systems for humans and domestic and wild animals should be considered as strategies to control and eradicate rabies.