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Rural land markets in Moзambique, its impact on land conflicts |
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| 6. The need for a Land Use Planning to improve better community and private land usage |
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Previous objectives of land use planning carried out by the institutions involved was twofold: first to identify land use planning needs at different operational levels (national, provincial, district and community) and, secondly, to develop a set of procedures, concepts and methodologies for land use planning and natural resources management for national adoption. These objectives are achieved in terms of the following: land use planning activities; the availability of data and gaps within existing databases; institutional requirements and mechanisms and methods of operation; human resources training; and formulation and developments of strategies to undertake stated objectives. These activities are executed in a centralized manner, but often without the necessary level of coordination among the institutions that undertake them. Communities consultation and delimitation usually were not consider during the earlier land use plans.
Within the new framework of Mozambique’s new “development drive” of decentralization and increased grassroots participation in natural resource management, a major emphasis of an integrated land use plan has been placed on district and community activities. The proposed strategy is, firstly, to establish together with communities, then with the district and lower level authorities a knowledge base about the present land use and negotiate an agreement for future land use, the so called district master-plan. Subsequently, local communities, which are identified in the first phase, are to be assisted with the development and management of their territories.
Methodologies for both levels to achieve the above have been established now and are documents in the respective reports of the provincial teams but they should be improved considering the need to defend communities rights while involving them in partnership with private investments is order to provide an add value for their community activities while providing access to better a potential lands to also private groups.
Results and conclusions of the land use planning component should be directly used in major policy proposals by the government of Mozambique, both in agricultural policy and the national Land Policy. In the position, the proposed national agriculture; development program, land use planning has been perceived as the process for identifying development opportunity and programming development actions. The component has also been instrumental in the elaboration of national programmed proposals by the Land Commission. Various discussion papers were prepared for this purpose.
Apart from the methodology development, the case studies have had a direct impact on provincial, district and local authorities and land users. In Xai-Xai a comprehensive district land use master-plan was established and presented to the provincial District government. In addition, future land use arrangements for 14 localities were negotiated. In Gondola 6 communities were targets; not only land use development options are proposed but a process of farmers mobilization and community self help was induced. In Mocuba a comprehensive social and physical inventory was established. Most recently a land use planning was conducted to Inhamabne province, inc which a community consultation is strongly recommended whenever land allocation for private purposes is considered. It must be underlined that through a series of workshops and seminars, both at district and provincial level, tens of administrators and technicians were reached and introduced to basic land resources management and planning issues.
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