Throughout the ages, land has been a source of income generation for households in the world. People in rural areas usually use land to meet subsistence needs like food and shelter. Land when used properly to meet those needs provides resilience (social and economical) to the households for a long time. Land is a very important resource for individuals to manage/use. Failure to use it sustainably leads to several consequences for the future generations.
The crucial role land plays in the sustainable development calls for protection of this valuable resource. The best way to promote the sustainable development of land is anchored on the respect and implementation of land rights. Land rights can be defined as the rights individuals or groups have in a given society which enable them use and exclude others from making use of the land that belongs to them. These rights are bestowed on them by nature, inheritance, culture and law.
These rights have serious ramifications on how societies thrive. It has been noted that societies with enforceable land rights have made great strides in the quest to better lives. According to Sustainable Development Commission, Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The underlying goal of sustainable development as regards land management is to leave the land in a better state than that which the land rights holder found it in at the time of acquisition of their right. There are numbers of ways land rights can greatly facilitate sustainable development and the following are some of the ways:
Certainty of ownership: Land rights protect individual and communities from losing their land through land grabs by external players. It should be noted that land rights have meaning only to the extent that the rights holders have the capacity to exclude non-rights holders from using the claimed right. Failure to protect the claims of the right holders leads to land grabs by scrupulous people. It has been documented in a number of publications that land grabs create both social and environmental problems as they deprive communities of their land.
Responsible use of natural resources: Land rights provide answers questions of who claims rights to resources and access to the land and finally who has the responsibility for managing these lands. Efficient land rights provide defence against environmental pollution and resource depletion in communities. it has been noted by scholars that When land is poorly managed, the associated problems often lead to disputes, land degradation and lost socioeconomic development opportunities leading to tragedy of the commons.
Distribution of resources: Land rights aid in the distribution of natural resources as theyspecify who owns what and what privileges and responsibilities are attached to those rights. When the above issues are not articulated well, unsustainable use of the natural resources is inevitable. Land rights adherence reflect a lot about the nature of society, and the development and performance of its stakeholders. When a nation has equitable land rights adherence even the vulnerable groups like widows, disabled, youth, and children are catered which promotes inclusiveness and diversity.
Incentive for sustainable use of resources: Equitable land rights can provide incentives forsustainable management of natural resources. Land issues are usually made-up relationships between people and within society. Actions of individuals or societies can have a positive impact in the long term. For example, easy access to land can provide incentives for investments. When the processes and of land acquisition are clear and fair then people can invest in land. Enforceable land rights act as a buffer against unfair loss of property. The absence of tenure security leads to unsustainable use of land. People use the land without care because they are not certain of them being in possession of that land tomorrow. The only way people can use the natural resources as if they know their rights and put into action.
Conglomerate decision making and planning: When people know their land rights whether as individuals or communities, they can meaningfully contribute to how the resources are managed. When land and land rights are clear and enforceable, community buy in is possible. It should be noted that land rights have meaning only to the extent that the rights holders have the capacity to exclude non-rights holders from using the claimed land. Failure to protects the claims of the right holders leads to disorganization of the community and conflict.
Conservation of natural resources: In several societies Land rights have been used as a tool to promote conservation of natural resources. The sets of rules and regulations based on the legal framework are used to control and manage biodiversity and the general environment. This leads to conservation of resources for future generation.
This all made possible to strict adherence to the land rights implementation. The above are some of the ways land rights continue to play in the achievement of sustainability. More efforts are needed to see that the responsible stakeholders take action in the enforcement and protection of land rights for all people. Land rights and sustainable developments are interlinked. All in all, land rights will continue being the enabler of Sustainable development in the world.
The author is a Land surveyor and Author of a book: Buy the land; How to make a fraud proof land transaction in Busoga.
