The challenges of multi-level and multi-stakeholder land tenure projects - The case of Burundi
David Betge, Andrew Lippett, Jean Pierre-Irutingabo
In Burundi, a great number of legal disputes relates to conflicts over land and these land conflicts frequently result in violence (Kohlhagen n.d.). Since 2007, attempts have been made to set up land security projects in Burundi. The main concern was to secure land tenure in the context of widespread tenure insecurity. The initiative for this came from the Burundian Government along with its technical and financial partners. In 2010, in the context of an alarming increase in insecurity of land tenure, exacerbated by refugee return, the government adopted a new land policy. The policy described the various areas of intervention to deal effectively and efficiently with the problem of land insecurity, which was considered to be a "time bomb". In 2011, to fulfil this mission, the Government of Burundi put in place a new land law, enshrining land registration and certification in a decentralized manner, designed to increase efficiency, and bring land certification closer to the population in a more affordable way. All levels of government have been involved in one way or another in these land registration/certification activities. At the level of the technical and financial partners, many donors became involved, each with different approaches and various financial resources while freely choosing their area of intervention. It became apparent that a general obstacle to broader success of these ventures was a lack of coordination between the different actors, particularly within the government (Kohlhagen 2012: 4). At present, at least 50 municipalities have land services set up with the support of several stakeholders. The challenges of harmonizing interventions and approaches are acute because there are disparities in strategies, tools and techniques, practices and approaches. Multidimensional challenges are observed in land tenure management. On the one hand, there are the challenges (1) relating to the strategies, techniques, practices and approaches to be adopted for sound land registration and certification; (2) on the other hand, there are the challenges concerning the different levels of decision-making and intervention in this sector. Furthermore, there are the choices made by donors and the financial means available. This paper analyses these different challenges, it points out central deficiencies as well as ways to address them, The paper shows how the various actors involved in land tenure registration in Burundi can be seen as an asset as well as an obstacle in some ways. The paper also draws on practical experience with the Burundian land tenure registration to highlight how workable solutions can be found that enable external actors such as NGOs to work together with government agencies to set up efficient land administration structures.
Event: Land Governance in an Interconnected World_Annual World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty_2018
Only personal, non-commercial use of this document is allowed.