Greening Cities for Improving Urban Livelihoods
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LSP Working Paper 38 Access to Natural Resources Sub-Programme Changes in “customary” land tenure systems in Africa Edited by Lorenzo Cotula Contibuting authors: Jean-Pierre Chauveau, Salmana Cissé, Jean-Philippe Colin, Lorenzo Cotula, Philippe Lavigne Delville, Nanete Neves, Julian Quan, Camilla Toulmin International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) 2006 FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Livelihood Support Programme (LSP) An inter-departmental programme for improving support for enhancing livelihoods of the rural poor. Changes in “customary” land tenure systems in Africa Edited by Lorenzo Cotula Contibuting authors: Jean-Pierre Chauveau, Salmana Cissé, Jean-Philippe Colin, Lorenzo Cotula, Philippe Lavigne Delville, Nanete Neves, Julian Quan, Camilla Toulmin International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) 2006 Photograph by Camilla Toulmin Women threshing their fonio harvest, Dlonguebougou, Mali This paper was prepared under contract with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The positions and opinions presented are those of the authors alone, and are not intended to represent the views of FAO. Changes in “customary” land tenure systems in Africa The Livelihood Support Programme The Livelihood Support Programme (LSP) evolved from the belief that FAO could have a greater impact on reducing poverty and food insecurity, if its wealth of talent and experience were integrated into a more flexible and demand-responsive team approach. The LSP works through teams of FAO staff members, who are attracted to specific themes being worked on in a sustainable livelihoods context. These cross- departmental and cross-disciplinary teams act to integrate sustainable livelihoods principles in FAO’s work, at headquarters and in the field. These approaches build on experiences within FAO and other development agencies. The programme is functioning as a testing ground for both team approaches and sustainable livelihoods principles. Email: [email protected] Access to natural resources sub-programme Access by the poor to natural resources (land, forests, water, fisheries, pastures, etc.), is essential for sustainable poverty reduction. The livelihoods of rural people without access, or with very limited access to natural resources are vulnerable because they have difficulty in obtaining food, accumulating other assets, and recuperating after natural or market shocks or misfortunes. The main goal of this sub-programme is to build stakeholder capacity to improve poor people’s access to natural resources through the application of sustainable livelihood approaches. The sub-programme is working in the following thematic areas: 1. Sustainable livelihood approaches in the context of access to different natural resources 2. Access to natural resources and making rights real 3. Livelihoods and access to natural resources in a rapidly changing world This paper is one of a series which addresses the changes to land tenure in Africa and the effect on livelihoods of the poor. In much of rural Africa, “customary” land tenure systems are experiencing profound change, as a result of dramatic structural changes in economies and societies. If projections are right, these changes are likely to continue over future decades. While some powerful actors stand to gain from these processes, weaker groups are losing out. In most cases, the issue is not whether governments should intervene to regulate local land relations; but rather how they should do so. Changes in “customary” land tenure systems in Africa TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 1.1 Background ..........................................................................................................1 1.2 Object, scope and methodology ...........................................................................3 1.3 What is “customary” land tenure?........................................................................5 2. THE DRIVERS OF CHANGE.......................................................................................9 2.1 Setting the scene...................................................................................................9 2.2 Demographic change............................................................................................9 2.3 Urbanization.......................................................................................................12 2.4 Integration in the world economy ......................................................................13 2.5 Socio-economic and cultural change..................................................................17 2.6 HIV/AIDS ..........................................................................................................18 2.7 Conflict...............................................................................................................20 2.8 Public policy and legislation ..............................................................................21 3. CHANGES IN “CUSTOMARY” LAND MANAGEMENT INSTITUTIONS: EVIDENCE FROM WEST AFRICA..........................................................................25 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................25 3.2 Power over people, power over resources The socio-political nature of “customary” management ..................................................................................25 3.3 Legal pluralism and competition/cooperation between institutions...................27 3.4 Changes in the local land regulation framework................................................28 3.5 Some of the factors driving change....................................................................33 3.6 Conclusion..........................................................................................................36 4. CHANGES IN INTRA-FAMILY LAND RELATIONS............................................37 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................37 4.2 Intra-family dimensions of tenure and tenure change in sub-Saharan Africa..................................................................................................................38 4.3 Gender and intra-family land relations...............................................................39 4.4 Youth and inter-generational land issues ...........................................................42 4.5 Conclusions: continuity and change in kinship-based land management ..........45 5. CHANGES IN LAND TRANSFER MECHANISMS: EVIDENCE FROM WEST AFRICA .............................................................................................................48 5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................48 5.2 Changes in tutorat relations ...............................................................................50 5.3 The emergence of land “sales”...........................................................................55 5.4 Conclusion..........................................................................................................58 iii Changes in “customary” land tenure systems in Africa 6. A CASE STUDY: CHANGES IN “CUSTOMARY” RESOURCE TENURE SYSTEMS IN THE INNER NIGER DELTA, MALI ................................................60 6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................60 6.2 An evolving ecological and socio-economic context.........................................61 6.3 Resource tenure systems in the delta: A short history........................................63 6.4 Changes in customary resource tenure systems .................................................66 6.5 Conclusion..........................................................................................................72 7. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................73 7.1 To sum up...........................................................................................................73 7.2 “Customary” tenure is changing.........................................................................73 7.3 Livelihood implications of change in tenure systems ........................................76 7.4 Implications for policy and practice...................................................................77 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................80 iv Changes in “customary” land tenure systems in Africa “It is important to note that indigenous law is not a fixed body of formally classified and easily ascertainable rules. By its very nature it evolves as the people who live by its norms change their patterns of life.” Constitutional Court of South Africa, Alexor Ltd v. The Richtersveld Community, 14 October 2003, CCT 19/03. “Everything must change if we want things to stay the same.” 19th century Sicilian noble, explaining why he supported the unification of Italy against his sovereign, the King of the Two Sicilies. Tomasi di Lampedusa, “Il Gattopardo”. 1. INTRODUCTION Lorenzo Cotula 1.1 Background Across rural Africa, land legislation struggles to be properly implemented, and most resource users gain