Disputes, relationships, and identity: a ‘levels of conflict’ analysis of human-wildlife conflict as human-human conflict in the mid-Zambezi valley, Northern Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT

This study, by applying the Levels of Conflict model, sought to investigate the manner in which human-human conflict (HHC) related to human-wildlife conflict (HWC) in Chapoto Ward in the mid-Zambezi valley, northern Zimbabwe. The focus was on three interrelated levels of conflict, namely disputes, ongoing conflictual relationships underlying disputes, and identity-level conflict. Besides the identification of the above three levels, the model also helped unravel these from each other. Qualitative data collection methods included in-depth interviews with 60 heads of households, interviews with key informants, a focus group session, and document analysis. We found that the conflict between people and wildlife was much more complicated than it seemed to be because it was driven by HHC. These findings support the new line of thinking that HWC should not be viewed as simply a problem between people and wildlife but as a conflict between stakeholders with divergent views over wildlife management.

KEYWORDS:

• Human-human conflict
• human-wildlife conflict
• levels of conflict
• mid-Zambezi valley
• qualitative approach

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Nelson Mandela University Department of Research Capacity Development for funding this research, the two anonymous reviewers for the useful comments, and the people of Chapoto for responding to the interviews.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Nelson Mandela University Department of Research Capacity Development.