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This paper develops a conceptual framework to holistically explore the impact of HIV/AIDS on land, particularly at the rural household level. It is intended that this framework will provide a basis for pragmatic recommendations on this issue, which the paper argues is a neglected area in all Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries.A broad review of the impacts of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa, economic impacts and impacts on household livelihood strategies, provides the basis for the conceptual framework. The conceptual framework outlines that:Firstly, it is important to identify the phases of HIV/AIDS: asymptomatic, early illness, chronic illness, critical illness, death and survivors, as each phase is associated with different impacts and therefore different implications for land issues. The latter category, survivors is particularly important to emphasise, since there are many more affected than infected people.Secondly, prolonged illness and early death alter social relations, which include institutions governing access to and inheritance of land. This affects both access and utilisation of households and individuals on the one hand, and land planning and administration on the other. Analysis of change needs to recognise a range of social attributes affecting the dynamics of land relations, including:cultural, legal, political and other social dimensions affecting entitlementhow HIV/AIDS affects land entitlement and vice versawhether lack of entitlement to land increases vulnerability to HIV/AIDShow HIV/AIDS impacts on institutions involved in land administrationthe inputs needed to secure effective use of land by HIV/AIDS affected householdsthe fact that entitlement is not static and changes across gender and agethe complex continuum from landed to landlessthe fact that although access to land may not be the most effective strategy for HIV/AIDS affected households, in rural areas it is likely to remain central to their survivalThirdly, it is useful to differentiate these issues into three main areas of land use, land rights and land administration. The impact on these areas is most usefully conceptualised through the lens of the household:HIV/AIDS affected households generally have less access to labour, less capital to invest in agriculture and are less productive. Therefore land use is important as a result of the epidemic’s impact on mortality, morbidity and the resultant loss of skills, knowledge, and diversion of scarce resourcesThe focus on land rights considers the extent of impact on the terms and conditions in which individuals and households hold, use and transact land. This affects in particular the rights of women and children in the context of rural power relations. A number of other issues in relation to HIV/AIDS and land tenure are important especially in localities experiencing increasing land pressure, land scarcity, commercialisation of agriculture, increased investment, and intensifying competition and conflicts over landThe impacts on land administration is a related issue and is a result of the epidemic affecting people involved in the institutions that are directly and indirectly involved in the administration of land. These include local level of community institutions such as traditional authorities, civil society, various levels of government and the private sector[adapted from the author]
