HIV/AIDS and its impacts on land tenure and livelihoods in Lesotho: comments on Lesotho country study

This paper addresses the amelioration of the impact of AIDS on land tenure and livelihoods. The author argues that, in Lesotho, land policy development should be informed by the status of community support and welfare for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. He offers three main policy recommendations as follows: Land administrators should be fully informed about the epidemic and various legislations that govern the rights of the affected households. This will help to ensure uniform implementation of measures to support affected households. The importance of land to communities calls for concerted efforts to make the public aware of current Land Acts and proposed changes to land policy. Particular attention should be paid to provisions likely to affect households affected by HIV/AIDS. Provisions likely to have negative impacts should be removed or reformulated and those likely to have positive impacts should be strengthened. This should include a review of the likely impacts of the present trend towards concentration and commercialisation of land holding and agriculture on HIV/AIDS affected households and suitable action to secure their livelihoods. Mechanisms already being used by communities to make land policies suit their present circumstances should be examined and where possible adopted in current or proposed land policy and legislation. This should include mechanisms to ensure that sharecropping can continue to support the food security of affected households. [Adapted from author]