local land and water governance: land- use agreements in mauritania steven jonckheere knowledge...
DESCRIPTION
Land-use agreements «Ententes foncières» or land distribution agreements between landowners and the landless Introduced in IFAD-supported projects as pre-condition for water infrastructure Three principles: (i) justice; (ii) solidarity; (iii) efficiency Three steps: (i) land tenure assessment; (ii) negotiations; (iii) written agreement (endorsed by local authorities, prefect, land owners and village chief) Creation of community management structures to ensure efficient management of land agreements and to guarantee all stakeholders’ interestsTRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Local land and water governance: Land- use agreements in Mauritania Steven Jonckheere Knowledge Management Officer Land and Water Days, FAO, Rome, 10 November](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062401/5a4d1b747f8b9ab0599b696a/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Local land and water governance: Land-use agreements in MauritaniaSteven JonckheereKnowledge Management OfficerLand and Water Days, FAO, Rome, 10 November 2015
![Page 2: Local land and water governance: Land- use agreements in Mauritania Steven Jonckheere Knowledge Management Officer Land and Water Days, FAO, Rome, 10 November](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062401/5a4d1b747f8b9ab0599b696a/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Context
• Arable land is one of the country’s main resources, but also a major source of contention
• Vast majority of the population lives according to a common system of customary land law that is not recognized by the state
• Tenure arrangements within the traditional system have always been inclusive
• These arrangements, however, have not been formalized, making the situation more precarious-even for powerful landowners
• In the past, vulnerable social groups known as "the landless” were subject to restrictive practices and remain economically and socially vulnerable with limited and insecure access to land
![Page 3: Local land and water governance: Land- use agreements in Mauritania Steven Jonckheere Knowledge Management Officer Land and Water Days, FAO, Rome, 10 November](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062401/5a4d1b747f8b9ab0599b696a/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Land-use agreements
• «Ententes foncières» or land distribution agreements between landowners and the landless
• Introduced in IFAD-supported projects as pre-condition for water infrastructure
• Three principles: (i) justice; (ii) solidarity; (iii) efficiency• Three steps: (i) land tenure assessment; (ii) negotiations; (iii)
written agreement (endorsed by local authorities, prefect, land owners and village chief)
• Creation of community management structures to ensure efficient management of land agreements and to guarantee all stakeholders’ interests
![Page 4: Local land and water governance: Land- use agreements in Mauritania Steven Jonckheere Knowledge Management Officer Land and Water Days, FAO, Rome, 10 November](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062401/5a4d1b747f8b9ab0599b696a/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Results
• Maghama I & II: - 28 villages - 12,000 hectares- Secured access to land for
those who were landless• Up-scaling
- PASK II: pre-condition for all water infrastructure development
- Conflict management between pastoralists and farmers- Management of the El Atef natural reserve
![Page 5: Local land and water governance: Land- use agreements in Mauritania Steven Jonckheere Knowledge Management Officer Land and Water Days, FAO, Rome, 10 November](https://reader035.vdocuments.us/reader035/viewer/2022062401/5a4d1b747f8b9ab0599b696a/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
Conclusions
• Importance of working through local communities and the customary laws governing community assets
• The signing of the agreement is a unique demonstration of the ties of solidarity (social capital) existing in the project area and fosters inclusion
• Negotiated agreements rather than top-down solutions• Look for win-win solutions • Policy constraints for scaling up