Land Governance Improvement Project in Burundi

General

Contribute to better land management and governance of state lands. It was agreed with the stakeholders to focus this intervention on the surveying of state lands based on the orthophotomaps produced under the PPCDR. This methodology, which uses the Geographic Information System (GIS), has been used in Rwanda to carry out systematic land certification at the national level. It will soon be adapted to Burundi as part of a pilot project funded by the PPCDR in two municipalities in the province of Cankuzo, aimed at using orthophotos in the context of plot reconnaissance. The desired goal of this project is to open the door to a subsequent systematic recognition of the national territory, which is why the project will emphasize the appropriation of the project by the technical ministries concerned and, above all, the services of the National Cadastre, who will be equipped and whose skills will be strengthened. In addition, the complex nature of land disputes in Burundi requires that the registration of state lands be accompanied by measures aiming at the same time to resolve any land disputes. This aspect will be taken into account in a more important way within the framework of the action. The project aims at contributing to a better management of public lands, mitigating the risk of conflict, enhancing the access to land for vulnerable parts of the population and improving production and economic development in Burundi. As agreed with various stakeholders, the project will focus its activities on creating a state-owned land cadastre system based on the orthophotoplan products in the PPCDR. With the help of Geographic Information System (GIS) methodology, systematic registration of state-owned lands will be achieved. The systematic recording of public lands is especially necessary with regards to the complex nature of land conflicts in Burundi and will be accompanied by parallel measures of conflict resolution for potential conflicts over land.