LSP Working Paper 17 Access to Natural Resources Sub-Programme Examining access to natural resources and linkages to sustainable livelihoods A case study of Mozambique Simon Norfolk 2004 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. Examining access to natural resources and linkages to sustainable livelihoods A case study of Mozambique Simon Norfolk 2004 The cover photograph shows people at a meeting on the delimitation and titling of their community land under the new Land Law. Photo by Stefano Gasparini 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 author alone, and are not intended to represent the views of FAO. Examining access to natural resources and linkages to sustainable livelihoods 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 contributes to the second thematic area by analysing the extent to which Mozambique’s recent regulatory changes to natural resource access and management have had their intended effect and identifies issues that require further attention. A case study of Mozambique TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 2. SETTING THE SCENE................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Rural livelihoods in context ...................................................................................... 4 The vulnerability context of rural livelihoods ...................................................... 4 Natural resource use as part of livelihood strategies .......................................... 6 2.2 Background to policy development processes and an overview of existing policy and institutions .......................................................................................................... 8 Constitutional principles of importance to natural resource policies.................. 8 Policy formulation processes in natural resource sectors ................................... 9 New policy tools and concepts ........................................................................... 14 The governance context...................................................................................... 18 2.3 The implementation of natural resource policies .................................................... 23 Information on rights and entitlements .............................................................. 23 Consultations in land and forest resource allocation procedures ..................... 25 Land delimitation exercises................................................................................ 27 The award of forest concessions to private sector entities................................. 29 Community forestry and other CBNRM initiatives ............................................ 30 Decentralization initiatives ................................................................................ 31 3. ASSESSING THE IMPACT ...................................................................................... 32 3.1 Local communities, new institutions, representation and participation .................. 32 3.2 Forms of benefits for local communities................................................................. 35 Social capital...................................................................................................... 35 Human capital.................................................................................................... 38 Natural capital ................................................................................................... 38 Physical capital.................................................................................................. 39 Financial capital ................................................................................................ 39 3.3 Community incentives and capacities to claim and secure rights and manage resources.................................................................................................................. 42 3.4 Social differentiation and marginalization .............................................................. 43 3.5 Conflicts and dispute resolution.............................................................................. 46 4. KEY LESSONS, PRESENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES ............................... 49 4.1 Policy gaps and implementation shortfalls.............................................................. 49 Policy issues ....................................................................................................... 49 An enabling environment ................................................................................... 53 Implementation issues ........................................................................................ 55 4.2 Understanding and monitoring impact.................................................................... 56 4.3 Supporting local institution building....................................................................... 58 Direct funding support ....................................................................................... 60 Training and support.......................................................................................... 60 4.4 Independent institutions .......................................................................................... 60 4.5 Capacity building for civil society .......................................................................... 62 4.5 Capacity building for civil society .......................................................................... 62 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................63 iii A case study of Mozambique 1. INTRODUCTION Since the adoption of a new Constitution in 1990 and the signing of the peace accord in 1992, Mozambique has witnessed a period of rapid regulatory change in respect to the rules that govern the ownership and rights of use of a range of natural resources. There are new laws and regulations in place that govern access to and beneficial use of land, forest and mineral resources and a new environmental framework law. This regulatory change has taken place within the context of an official overarching concern with the reduction of absolute poverty in the country, which still exhibits some of the highest incidence levels of rural poverty in the world. A sector wide support programme for agriculture and rural development, PROAGRI (in place since 1999), and the Poverty Reduction Strategy and Plan (adopted in 2002), have both established principles and priorities in respect to natural resource usage that are intended to ensure a reduction in the vulnerability and an improvement in the livelihoods of the rural poor. FAO has been involved in providing assistance to the recent policy development processes in Mozambique, particularly in respect to the land and forestry sectors. There are ongoing FAO projects in land administration, community forestry, territorial planning, food security and judicial training, all of which are concerned with or affected by the policies, institutions and processes that impact upon access to natural resources by the poor. At a global level FAO also has a sub-programme on building stakeholder capacity to improve access to natural resources, through the identification and development of appropriate pro-poor policy and legal environments. This sub-programme has now identified the need for an analysis of the links between access to natural resources and livelihood strategies of the poor in Mozambique, particularly in the