Social Conflicts and Rangeland Management: A Case Study at Rangelands of Kalatnader County, Iran

Conflicts over natural resources increase due to a lack or limitation of natural resources and an increasing demand for growing populations. The current research aimed to investigate the conflict management between people and natural resources organizations. A list of local beneficiaries was obtained from Office of Natural Resources and Watershed Management of Kalatnader County, Khorasan-Razavi Province, Iran. The beneficiaries were surveyed through the in-person interview as well as a researcher-made questionnaire. Data were analyzed and modeled by SPSS and Amos softwares. The results indicated that 52% of the respondents had a positive attitude towards natural resources, but 36% were in conflict with the Office, 41% with other institutions, and 43% with other ranchers. Sixty seven percent of participants believed that collaboration with other ranchers could be a solution for the conflict. The most important influencing variables were social trust and violence, which could explain the dependent variable up to 71%. As a result, a conflict resolution approach and advancing negotiation techniques are needed to resolve disputes. Furthermore, the preparation of comprehensive cadastral maps, detailed investigation of conflicting issues, and continuous updating of the investigation process lead to a reduction of land conflicts.