With the end of the civil war in Burundi, the government began a transitional justice process to consolidate peace and deal with the legacies of past violations. Part of the transitional justice work in the country has been restitution of land and other property – a process that has provoked further violence and, to some extent, threatened national unity.

Compulsory land acquisition is inevitable for developing countries so that they can implement projects in urban areas for the quest of sustainable urban development. However, the decisions on land acquisition have to be contextualised so that the PAPs should be protected from disruptions and loss of livelihoods that may lead to uncertain sustainable urban development.

This scoping study on ways to improve tenure security in Burundi is commissioned by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). RVO is responsible for the implementation of the LAND-at-scale program, which is a program launched by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs to contribute to improved land governance around the world.

Rapid population growth in fertile agricultural lands of East Africa creates land scarcity, which has become a major hindrance to land access for the introduction of new horticultural crops. But their introduction in these areas is increasing, because of their high market price, which improves farmers’ income.

Burundi’s population has been expanding
far faster than its economy. And while the
agriculture sector contributes around 40%
of GDP and to over 95% of food supplies,
high pressure on land is leading to soil
fertility depletion, eroding the country’s
capacity to ramp up food production for a
growing population.

Land Degradation Neutrality is a new way of approaching land degradation that acknowledges that land and land-based ecosystems are affected by global environmental change as well as by local land use practices.

The AQUASTAT Programme was initiated with a view to presenting a comprehensive picture of water resources and irrigation in developing countries and providing systematic, upto-date and reliable information on water for agriculture and rural development.

Humanitarian and development organizations working in conflict-affected settings have a particular responsibility to do no harm and contribute to the wellbeing of the population without bias.