Paper written in response to 5 questions asked by the Forum organisers. Under what circumstances can land tenure reform contribute to rural poverty reduction and sustainable natural resources management? How can land tenure reform be carried out in a manner that is pro-poor? What types of actions should donors support in order to promote pro-poor land tenure reform? What actions should be taken to address the particular problems faced by women, indigenous groups and pastoralists in gaining secure access to land?

The Kenya Land Alliance (KLA) is a focal point for information sharing and networking among those pressing for land reform in Kenya. It was formed in 1999 by members of civil society to propose reforms both to the Commission on the Review of Land Laws, appointed by the President, and the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission, appointed by Parliament. Over the last two years, the KLA has coordinated a programme of research on land issues in Kenya by member organisations

This paper explores household variation in land tenure security and drought shocks across villages to investigate the extent to which land tenure systems matter in households’ capacity to cope with adverse impacts of weather shocks for agricultural dependent households in rural Malawi. Our findings reveal that land tenure security cushions the effects of drought regimes on food security. Further, we establish access to credit facilities for farm investment purposes as the underlying channel that mediates the impact of drought shocks on food insecurity.

Le Plan pour la Gestion Intégrée de la Fertilité des Sols est un instrument à portée nationale qui a pour objectif global l’appui aux producteurs en vue de gérer efficacement la fertilité de leurs terres et de promouvoir des systèmes productifs durables et économiquement rentables.

This document is about rural development in Africa. It is a preliminary statement of lessons learned from more than 20 years of natural resource–based development in rural Africa and it presents principles and action steps that can serve as a guide to investment there. While the fate of Africa’s natural resources cannot be separated from the broader context of economic and development challenges, neither can Africa’s economic and development future be separated from the management of its natural resources.

LAND DISPUTE RESOLUTION IN MOZAMBIQUE:
EVIDENCE AND INSTITUTIONS OF AGROFORESTRY
TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
Jon Unruh
This paper was also released as CAPRi Working Paper No. 12 and is available at
http://www.capri.cgiar.org/wp/capri.cgiar.org/wp/capriwp12.asp.

The report describes the relationships and linkages between the Magadi Soda Company and four group ranches including Olkiramatian. Discussions and planning is carried out to develop mutually beneficial rural development and land use planning.

This research report examines three questions that are central to IFPRI research: How do property-rights institutions affect efficiency and equity? How are resources allocated within households? Why does this matter from a policy perspective? As part of a larger multicountry study on property rights to land and trees, this study focuses on the evolution from customary land tenure with communal ownership toward individualized rights, and how this shift affects women and men differently.This study’s key contribution is its multilevel econometric analysis of efficiency and equity issues.

Successful adoption of natural resource management technologies requires that important fundamentals of property rights be established. Because disputes over property rights occur universally, the ability to successfully defend one's rights to property exercises a central influence on the tenure security necessary for technology adoption. However, defending rights to property rests upon the possession of evidence that is readily available and widely regarded as legitimate.

When a national park is created, the people who are forced to leave the area can increase the pressure on the surrounding communities. How can governments balance both the need for foreign exchange and environmental conservation, with the livelihood needs of the local people?

Dan Chirwa explaining to Patrick Mphaka how the water of Lake Malawi is a natural birthright for all Malawians.