Intra-village and inter-village resource use conflict in Indonesia: The case of the Kei Islands

Abstract

Resolving local resource conflicts in rural coastal communities is important for the implementation of effective resource management systems and development policies. This article examines the characteristics of small-scale fishing households that are prone to be involved in resource use conflict with other local marine resource users based on the data collected by a household survey in Indonesia. Intra-village and inter-village conflicts are examined separately. We find that social relationships and individual perceptions of changes in fishery conditions are strongly associated with both intra- and inter-village conflicts but in a different way for each type of conflict. Our results show that unintended consequences may arise from improving a social relationship between fishery users and their village leader. The improved social relationship discourages intra-village conflict but at the same time increases inter-village conflicts, thus creating a potential dilemma in conflict resolution. Our results also suggest that a perception of declining fishery conditions is correlated with an increase in inter-village conflicts when there is a perceived link between resource depletion and an increase in the benefits obtained by outsiders. Conversely, a decrease in the amount of resources available for exploitation may decrease intra-village conflict when in-group cooperation is needed to combat the declining environment.