Resource information
What are the dynamics of land tenure in the CAS (Conda, Ambuim, and Sumbe) area in Angola? What are its opportunities and risks? This paper reveals a denial of land access rights to communal farmers, whose livelihoods are centred on land. The paper states that the perhaps greatest contribution the new Land Law has made to improve communal land tenure is that it recognises customary ownership rights (Article.34) and it attempts to provide a legal framework for dealing with land problems that transcend the customary systems.However, the findings of this study reveal that tenure insecurity is experienced throughout the CAS area. The main forms of land tenure security include: unclear or restricted land rights, land alienation by powerful individuals or groups of commercial farmers, limited women's land rights, and the lack of awareness of laws, policies, and rights.The author points out that unless efforts are made to bring a more balanced share of land into the two main types of tenure – communal and large scale commercial – social development efforts will produce only a minimal impact on livelihood security.Recommendations include:
advocacy at the local and central level
improving land tenure systems
securing women's land rights
