Recommended strategy for conflict resolution of competing high pasture claims of settled and nomadic communities in Afghanistan

This document provides an evidence-based strategy for addressing the longstanding and often violent conflict over high pasture access between settled Hazara communities and nomadic Pashtun Kuchi pastoralists in Afghanistan’s central highlands. It presents a detailed analysis of the ecological, historical, legal, and socio-political roots of the dispute, including the effects of past state policies, population pressures, degradation of rangeland resources, and evolving land laws. Drawing on international case studies and local initiatives such as community-based pasture management, the report outlines practical and policy-level recommendations to guide stakeholders—including Afghan ministries, local communities, and international agencies—toward sustainable conflict resolution.