Conflict management in Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve, Kenya: a spatial multicriteria approach

Abstract

Multiple uses of the marine and coastal environment inevitably lead to spatial conflicts. This paper examines a methodology designed to inform management decisions on conflict management by identifying conflict hotspots and determining optimal feasible use patterns. The methodology involves three stages: multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA), geographical information systems (GIS) and integer goal programming (IGP). We use the case study of Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve to illustrate how the methodology can be implemented. We make suggestions of further work that is needed in order to validate and improve the methodology developed here.