Project description

Title: Communal Land Support (CLS) Sub-Activity in the Agriculture Project in Namibia
Commissioned by: Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Namibia
Financier: Millennium Challenge Account (MCA)
Country: Namibia
Lead executing agency: Ministry for Lands and Resettlement (MLR)
Overall term: 2010 to 2014

Context

In many developing and emerging countries land is still the most important production resource today. Fair access to land is thus the basis for reducing poverty. In the densely populated north of the Southern Africa state of Namibia, land is farmed jointly. The communal land management system, however, is characterised by poor administration of pasture land, deterioration of land and soil and inadequate regulation of ownership structures.

A Communal Land Reform Act passed in 2003 aimed above all to improve the regulation of ownership structures. Secured access to land and land ownership were to be ensured. However, the Act has still not been completely implemented to date. Farmers are still unable to decide freely on how their land is to be used. On the contrary, their right to use can be disputed at any time. The traditional method of agricultural administration affects wide sections of the population and their subsistence base.

Objective

Official land titles secure the basis for productive, sustainable land use for the farmers. They put people affected in a better position to secure their livelihood and increase their incomes in future. The role of women is strengthened by land titles in their name. Land titles also clarify conditions for foreign investments in the interest of investors and the rural population.

Approach

The project is being implemented in six regions in the north of the country in an area covering about 244,000 square kilometres. In cooperation with the Polytechnic Namibia, GIZ International Services (GIZ IS) is helping the Namibian Ministry for Lands and Resettlement (MLR) to establish a cadastral system and introduce modernised land charters and administration. The evaluation of existing photographic material to determine current ownership structures serves as a basis for this. For further planning it will subsequently be necessary to produce exact maps.

Model procedures will be developed for land registration tailored to regional conditions. Accordingly farmers will be able to obtain official land/leasehold certificates in future. Those affected will then be in a better position to secure their livelihood and increase their income. In addition the role of women will be strengthened, as land can now be registered in their name. The secured land rights also clarify the conditions for investments from other countries; this will benefit both investors and the rural population. In connection with the award of land titles, a new system with fixed structures for regulating ownership will develop and become established thanks to the introduction of modern land administration and charters and a cadastral system.

The staff at the Ministry and the communal land committees will be advised on implementing the Land Reform Act and trained in modern land administration. This will build capacities among local authorities such as communal land committees and traditional authorities. A parallel communication campaign will inform the population about these new opportunities.