An In-Depth Analysis of Natural Resource Conflict in the Gambia: A Study in Sanyang Village

The study analyses the natural resource conflict in the Gambia with a case in Sanyang. One hundred and seventy (170) persons were involved as respondents to the basic questionnaire to establish the causes of conflicts in the community. Through a questionnaire, observations, and individual interviews, this paper seeks to analyse the conflict in Sanyang. Many natural resource-rich countries especially in Africa are battling violent resource conflicts leading to snail-pace economic growth, ecological and social disruptions, deaths, the emergence of armed groups, coups, and counter-coups. Data collected through the questionnaire was analysed using Microsoft Excel. This research concludes that unregulated fishing leads to over-exploitation of marine resources along the coastline where fishmeal factories are situated; environmental pollution and loss of jobs in the coastal tourism sector are the major drivers of conflict in Sanyang. Poor environmental governance and inadequate stakeholder engagement are the primary issues leading to the above-mentioned drivers of conflict in the study site.