The Effect of Rural Land Certification on Land Tenure Security: A Case Study in Libo-kemkem Woreda, Amhara Region
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Date
2009-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study examines the effect of land certification in Libo-kemkem woreda, South
Gonder administrative zone, Amhara region. Both primary and secondary data are
employed in the investigation. The sources of the primary data were HH survey,
interviews with key informants, discussions with focus groups and case studies.
Secondary data sources include articles, published and unpublished documents,
books and other related materials.The findings of the study revealed that in Libo-kemkem woreda community
participation during the registration was generally good but it differs from one
kebe le to another. But the participation of females in land administration was very
low. In all 84 sub-kebeles of the woreda, there were only 69 females. The
participation of females inShamo and Agelahana kebele KLAUC was none.
Land registration in Libo-kemkem woreda was a.1most completed and more than
54% of ·the land holders have received their book of rural land possession. But
there were problems during the land regist ration. Majority of the respondents
(69. ~' %) were not satisfied by t he measu rements of their holdings that were
regist e red on their certificates. About 62.5% of total respondents obse rved t hat
most of the extra lands in their kebeles were not properly identified and recorded.
There are corruptions at kebele and woreda leve l up on those extra lands. Other
p roblems during the implementation of the registration were lack of proper support
f or the land administration institutions a t a ll levels and the absence of an
established and continuous monitoring and eva luation system.
The study investigated that while 43.2% of the respondents do not feel guaranteed
about the security of their lands to go to anot her place and work there for a longer
p eriod, about 23.8% were not sure whether o r not their holdings would be secure.
The majority of the respondents (64.8 %) expect future land redistribution in the
next five years. However, the investigat ion also shows that the majority of the
respondents feel guaranteed that all o r part of their holdings will not be taken
from them by the government without compensation.The research found that women have faced several problems during the
registration. Many female who married after the recent land redistribution were
not entitled to register with their husbands in the study kebeles. Many women who
don't work the land themselves and who have to share crop, couldn't succeed in
registering their plots of land. Similarly, the land certification couldn't bring for
communal lands to be secure in the two kebeles. The boundaries of most communal
lands were not demarcated properly during the registration. The encroachment has
also increased after land certification.
Land dispute has decreased after land certification in relation to the registration
time. But the land registration process didn't bring border dispute reduction
between administrative areas. There are still kebele to kebele and woreda to
woreda border disputes. For example, Shamo and Agelahana kebeles have dispute
with their successive three neighboring kebeles. In addition, for those farmers
whose holdings are around towns, the certificate couldn't reduce the dispute with
the municipalities.
The study also reveals that although there are some efforts which are conducive
for . the sustai:ta bility of t he land administration system, there are serious
challenges and p roblems that should be resolved to susta in the system. Staff
turnover, low capacity, lack of vehicles and other equipments are still some of the
constraints in the office. Most members of the Committees in the woreda are not
today in function . Moreover, the committees and the WEPLAUA office were
inefficient for de live ring justice and timely services. Favoritism, bribe, and
unwillingness to give fair s ervices were the major problems of the woreda EPLAUA
office and KLAUC. The current situation of land register storage in Libo·kemkem
woreda is also poor. These documents are in a manner in which they can be easily
used for undesirable purpose and there are observations of corruptions in the
office.
Thus, to solve the problems encountered during the registration and improve the
existing land administration system, there should be discussions with the
community and the employees and there should be also efforts to remove
bottlenecks that aggravate land tenure insecurity.
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Keywords
Rural Land Certification