REVISITING LAND DISTRIBUTION POLICIES AMONG LAND-BASED SECTORS IN TANZANIA

Abstract

context and background Despite the robustness of various land instruments and legal and institutional regulations on various sectors, Tanzania’s land distribution-related policy implementation and practice is facing numerous challenges. Tanzania is not only experiencing poor land conditions, but also poor land management and ineffective policy implementation. Areas of concern includes public policy actions on land conflicts; settlements and housing problems; and conflicting demand for land for mining, large scale agriculture, conservation, tourism, ranching and pastoral nomadism. This study highlights that the land sector in Tanzania is in a state of instability due to inability to secure rights to land, issues around transparency and ongoing disputes and misunderstanding within society as demand for land increases. Goal and Objectives: The study tries to find out the potential of land and available related policies incongruent with the future land distribution and land use for sustainable land use in Tanzania by recommending the proper land distribution policy directions for feasible outcomes. Methodology: Secondary data analysis was applied to support the existing scenario in land policies regarding land use and the land distribution paradox. A review of land use, distribution, ownership in Tanzania has been conducted by focusing on land use and land cover distribution, size of public land, land claims by major sectors, and land ownership in Tanzania. Results: The study recommends that the government should go beyond land reforms and new legal regulations, but rather concentrate on innovative, participatory, and sustainable land development policy approaches. More emphasis on the operational land market, land information system, land rights, and security of tenure should instead be heightened. Again, effective coordination with relevant sectoral agencies can enhance the implementation of existing policies toward achieving sustainable land and resource management..

Keywords

• land ownership
• land tenure
• land distribution
• tanzania