Securing And Managing Community Land: Lessons From Kenya

The Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa endorsed through the adoption of the African Union Declaration on Land Issues and Challenges by the African Heads of States in 2009 is having “a strong gender component which aims at “strengthening security of land tenure for women which require special attention” and “ensuring that land laws provide for equitable access to land and related resources”.

 Ethiopia follows a federal state administrative structure. Regional states are organized on ethnic basis. The country has over 85 ethnic groups and languages, but only majority ethnic groups, with few exceptions, have their own standalone regional states.The Constitution of the country categorizes land as a public property and gives land administration responsibilities to regional states. Although the Constitution confirms land access right to all citizens, regional states’ constitutions and land laws put restrictions to prioritize residents.

Climate change-related threats and land insecurities are increasingly impacting upon disadvantaged communities, especially women. In the context of evolving land policy discourse and priorities, intertwined land tenure, climate change, and gender equality require reference to global normative human rights and development frameworks. Human Rights treaties, the Paris Agreement, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda, among others have strategic policy implications.

It is critical to have land policies that facilitate access to and effective control of land and other natural resources to achieve inclusive growth and eradicate poverty. It is well known that discrimination in land rights occurs globally, both in formal and customary settings. The reason for this is that land rights are either strong or weak and are held by a variety of groups of people.

Compulsory land acquisition is inevitable for developing countries so that they can implement projects in urban areas for the quest of sustainable urban development. However, the decisions on land acquisition have to be contextualised so that the PAPs should be protected from disruptions and loss of livelihoods that may lead to uncertain sustainable urban development. This paper examines two projects implemented in Bujumbura City through compulsory land acquisition. A desk review and checklist question have been mobilised to collect data that are source of information presented herein.

Context and background The mastery and control of rural areas remain a challenge for both landowners and the Burkinabe State. The major agricultural production basins, particularly areas with high exploitation of lowlands, experience permanent changes in production actors and land management strategies. This leads to the establishment of a multitude of access and exploitation rules aimed at better controlling all production chains. Therefore, what are the set of rules and principles that govern the exploitation of lowland in the study area?

Women make essential contributions to agriculture by playing a large role in food crop production. They require land as source of rural livelihood and monetary strengthening through land right security. Women’s ownership of land and property can be potentially transformative, not only as a store of value, but also as a means of acquiring other assets and engaging in a range of markets. However, women have lower access to productive resources (land and capital) compared to their male counterparts.

AbstractContext and background:The Sagara hills provide key ecosystem services to the communities in Kongwa and Mpwapwa districts in Dodoma region. In particular, the hills provide watershed services which is vital in a challenging semi-arid condition.

Background and context
With the decentralization processes underway in most countries of the Congo Basin, community involvement in decision-making is becoming an imperative, particularly with regard to land and resource management (Beatty, M.T. et al. (1978). To ensure that this involvement results in a clear and sustained expression of community needs, it is important to think of an integrated, free and committed approach to communities in order to promote a dialogue between land management actors (Joe Watts, 1994).
Goal and objectives

Context and backgroundUnsustainable land management practices result in land degradation that threatens the environment and stifles livelihoods. Africa remains exposed to threats such as natural resource degradation and poverty due to various reasons that include: changing demographics, urbanization, mining, fragile natural resources and ecosystems, increased soil erosion and land degradation, low yields and high post-harvest yield losses.