Impact of Security of Rural Land Tenure on Development and Environment in Ethiopia
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2005-05
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Ethiopia being predominantly an agrarian COIIIIIIY, the peljormance of agricultural
sector significantly influences the peljonnance of other seClOrs o/i/le economy. There is
an agreement that Elhiopian agriculture is in a velY bad shape. /-1 -is still as vulnerable as it was 20 or 30 years ago. The COu/llly is listed among the.food d~ficil countries of the
world. The Iraditional fanning practices wilh lillie or no soil conservation measures
have signijicalllly eroded the fertility o/Ihe soil.
Environmental degradation in Ethiopia is enormous and increasing at an alarming rale.
The major environmental problem in our COUlltly loday is land degradation. The problem
is mainly caused by lack oUnveslment on indigenous land conservation techniques and
abandoning land improvement and management practices such as terracing, bunding,
lIlulching, fallowing, crop rotation, plall/ing nutrielll:fixing crops. ele.
In light 0/ Ihe foregoing Ihis paper allemplS 10 examine Ihe relalionship belween
environmental condilion and land lenure. The paper mainlains Ihat land tenure can
promote land use practices Ihat serve 10 enhance Ihe environmel1l or il can harm the
environment. Insecure land tenure is linked to poor land use which in tum leads 10 land
degradalion. Lack of clear righls 10 land can reduce Ihe incentive 10 implemenl longIeI'm
conservalion measures. II discourages peasanls 10 use such long-Ierm measures
and inslead leads Ihem 10 concenlrate on getting whalever they can I/OW \vilhoullooking
inlo the .fillw'e. The paper argues that in the Ethiopian context tenure insecurily is 10 a
large eXlent attributable 10 periodic land redistribulion which is carried oUIji'om lime 10
time. The paper .fill'lher argues Ihat Ihe underlying cause of lenure insecurity is Ihe
policy of public ownerslnj) of rural lands, which policy makes land redislribulion
possible and suggesls Ihal the practice 0/ land redislribulion should be halted
immed ialely.
Description
Keywords
Impact of Security of Rural Land Tenure