Land tenure and land use dynamics in the context of pastoral and non-pastoral land use coexistence in Mvomero district, Tanzania

Pastoral and non-pastoral land use coexistence across time and space has implications for the capacity of communities to sustain themselves. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to characterise the trends of land tenure and land use land cover (LULC) in relation to land use coexistence between pastoralists and non-pastoralists. The study was conducted in the Mvomero district of Tanzania, among the districts with high land use conflicts between pastoralists and non-pastoralists. Results indicate that land tenure transformation occurred mainly from village land tenure to state land tenure, followed by state tenure to private tenure. Village tenure was irreversibly converted to state and private tenures. LULC trend showed agriculture and bushland increased at the expense of forest, which decreased consistently from 1994 to 2024. Many respondents indicated that land use coexistence is happening informally, and arrangements are organised mainly by individuals and village leaders. In conclusion, the district's land tenure and land use transformations prioritize biodiversity conservation and agriculture expansion, and overlook pastoral land use. Also, the transformations promote the separation of land uses and undermine land use coexistence. These perpetuate land use conflicts and impede the progress toward zero hunger, a sustainable development goal. A framework that harmonizes the arrangements to accommodate land use coexistence is necessary. • Pastoralists and non-pastoralists may experience land use coexistence. • Presence of land use coexistence does not imply formality. • Land use and land tenure arrangements dictate the mode of land use coexistence. • Pastoral land use coexists mostly with rainfed agriculture during the dry season.