Anthropogenic fires and local livelihoods at Chyulu Hills, Kenya

• Kamba and Maasai residents report 22 different reasons why their fires occur.
• Seasonal burning promotes productive land use and prevents damaging large fires.
• Village elders should negotiate fire management policies for local livelihoods.
• Information sharing is an important first step in adaptive collaborative planning.

Anthropogenic fires are rife in rural Africa as people use fire to modify landscapes for their livelihoods. Although burning occurs as a significant traditional resource management practice and shows ecological advantages, human set fires are viewed by conservation authorities as destructive and a cause for environmental degradation. This study gains local perspective from three Kamba and three Maasai villages around Chyulu Hills on why fires are used and their influence on land resources and local livelihoods. Between June and July 2012, 12 focus group discussions and 6 transect walks were conducted with men and women Kamba and Maasai participants. They reported 22 reasons why they use fires, concurring on its important role in the management of grazing lands and, especially for the Kamba, in relation to resource extraction activities. Their narratives clarify differences between the ethnic groups, by gender, across seasons, and through time. Employing an applied research design that supports adaptive collaborative management (ACM), the study validates local knowledge on fire management and promotes opportunities for shared learning between park managers and local populations that are viewed critical toward better environmental conservation and livelihood security around Chyulu Hills National Park.