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Context and background Umoja, is the Swahili philosophy of unity. Its principles underscore the significance of cooperation and communal solidarity. Umoja has historically been associated with various aspects of African social and political life, accentuating the influence of communal synergy in traditional land tenure systems. The Umoja philosophy encourages individuals to consider collective-wellbeing as being complementary to individual interests, thereby fostering a profound sense of social responsibility in traditional approaches to land holding. In contemporary African society, Umoja continues to wield substantial influence in facilitating social cohesion and the establishment of robust and supportive communities. Notwithstanding, the principles of Umoja remain relatively uncharted in the context of modern approaches to land reform policies. Goal and Objectives: The primary objective of this paper entails an in-depth examination of prevailing land tenure systems throughout the African continent, with a concurrent aspiration to formulate a novel land-holding system that harmoniously integrates with and encapsulates the diverse cultural and contextual intricacies inherent in Africa. At its core, this endeavor seeks to leverage the proposed land-holding framework as a catalyst, with the ultimate ambition of elevating substantial segments of the African populace from multidimensional poverty to a state of enduring prosperity. Methodology: The methodological approach employs a secondary analysis, focusing on African communal land and resource management case studies. The paper assesses their achievements and shortcomings, emphasizing the 'Gestion de Terroir' model in West Africa and the less successful Community Land Trust Experiment in Voi, Kenya. Drawing from successful and unsuccessful cases, the paper develops a comprehensive blueprint for effective communal land tenure systems, guided by Elinor Ostrom's principles for successful management of communal resources and the principle of Umoja, for equitable and sustainable land management in Africa. Results The findings from this study highlight critical issues within existing communal land systems across Africa. Specifically, the primary challenges identified are the absence of formalized communal land titles, as well as issues stemming from the inability of attempted communal land holding projects to align with local idiosyncrasies, capacities, and objectives. Consequently, this paper formulates a novel communal land tenure system for the African context, synthesizing these lessons to create a more sustainable approach that bridges the gap between formalization and local adaptability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background In recent years, there has been a notable resurgence of medium-scale commercial farms in Africa. However, scholarly focus on their capacity to drive structural transformation, promote inclusivity, empower communities, generate wealth, and enhance livelihoods has been limited. Specifically examining the Zimbabwean context, this article contends that medium-scale farms play pivotal roles in production, social reproduction, income generation, commercialisation, investment and capital accumulation. These contributions have been significant in facilitating structural transformation, wealth generation, and improved livelihoods. Goal and Objectives: The paper is primarily concerned with exploring the extent to which mediumscale commercial agriculture contributes to structural transformation, wealth creation and enhanced livelihoods in the Zimbabwean and wider African context. Methodology: The paper utilized a mixed methods research approach comprising of a survey and in-depth interviews which targeted 200 resettled households in two rural districts in Zimbabwe. Results: Medium-scale farms possess the ability to play a role in structural transformation, wealth generation, and improved livelihoods. Factors such as land access, a supportive macroeconomic and policy environment, robust and inclusive land governance, and efficient administrative institutions hold promise in addressing and mitigating the challenges related to poverty, disenfranchisement, marginalization, and inequalities in power and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background: Multi-stakeholder platforms (MSP) for inclusive people-centred land governance are increasingly recognized as central mechanisms for countries to find sustainable solutions to complex land tenure issues. MSPs create an inclusive forum where actors can discuss problems and propose solutions to improve governance of tenure and provide better access to natural resources. The establishment of MSPs to address land tenure issues are also key recommendations expressed in normative frameworks on land tenure at regional, continental or international levels. These include the Framework and Guidelines on Land Policy in Africa (F&G) adopted in 2009, and the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) adopted in 2012. Over the past decade, several countries in the continent have successfully adopted new land legislation. Goal and Objectives: The goal of this paper is to demonstrate how MSPs can contribute to inclusive and participatory land reforms processes in view of securing tenure rights especially for the most vulnerable. It also contributes to address the challenges faced by these platforms in engaging key actors including the government, private sector and the most vulnerable constituencies at community level, towards addressing land issues systemically and achieve transformative change. Methodology: This paper is the result of a light qualitative ex-post evaluation of the approaches developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Land Coalition (ILC) and other partners in the field of land governance over the last 15 years. The paper also builds on desk/literature review that helped gathering needed information on land policy issues and processes. Results: MSPs have contributed to the adoption and implementation of ground-breaking policies and laws, including the National Land Policy of DRC (2021), the Community Land Rights Act (2022) and the National Land Commission Act (2022) in Sierra Leone; the Land Code (2018) in Togo, the Land Rights Act in Liberia (2018). MSPs provide a constructive space for dialogue, coordination, capacity building and collective action to link up efforts from grassroots to national level. They also contribute to addressing power imbalances and strengthening capacities and accountability of government and private actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Sustainable growth and development in Africa will continue to depend mainly on how land and land-related resources are secured, used, and managed, which is extremely important for the socio-economic development of women and men. Equitable land rights support the eradication of poverty, increase food security, and respond to climate change. However, women's land rights are strongly gendered across many regions of the globe, especially in Africa, where access to and control over land and productive resources is affected by customary norms, usually discriminatory against women. Goal and Objectives: This paper focuses on Mozambique's legal reform and institutional capacity-building efforts, with special attention to social institutions, to promote equitable land rights and enhance land tenure security. It is based on specific practices in documenting customary and statutory access, control, and ownership of land, considering both the ongoing legal reform and the systematic land registration program the country has been promoting over the past decade. This paper intends to document these efforts and good practices so that they can be used as a reference and others can benefit from them. Methodology: The research follows a pragmatic value-driven philosophy, focusing on practical solutions and outcomes to improve future practice, taking gender inequality in land access as a starting point. The approach to theory development is abductive, moving from theory to data (deduction) and from data to theory (induction). Multi-methods, qualitative and quantitative, are used to ensure a richer approach. Results: Mozambique's legal framework has been reformed to accommodate several improvements related to gender equality. The family and the succession laws, are a clear break from the past merely patriarchal vision cemented in inequality. The recently approved land policy and the land law provide gender equality and protection of women's land rights. The Constitution and the land law recognize legal pluralism, having statutory and customary norms co-existing in land management and land administration, provided that the Constitution is not violated. Mozambique launched a massive systematic land registration, having designed and implemented its Fit-For-Purpose Land Administration approach, formatted to the country's context, intertwining three pillars: people, processes, and technology. There are still challenges to overcome, mainly due to complexity, contradictions, and overlaps within legal pluralism, as sometimes traditional and cultural norms prevent women from accessing, controlling, or owning land and participating in decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Are “informal real estate markets” really markets? Alternatively, are “informal property rights” tradable? A few years ago, just the mention of these concepts in a title would render it a misnomer. Goal and objectives: The aim of this paper is to explore the controversies in literature around the use of the concept “informal real estate markets”. The term “informal” comes with different connotations in literature; and for many years it denoted “illegality”. Thus, the use of “informal” as a prefix on real estate markets would be absurd or a misnomer in neo-classical economics whose definition of market transactions relied on fully titled private property rights. By implication, an informal real estate market trades in informal property rights. Methodology: This paper was based on a qualitative meta-analysis approach. It thus reviewed literature on key terms related to the theme of the study, namely; informal land market, vernacular land markets, informal real estate markets, informal property markets and informal property rights. Results: This paper shows that the use of the concept “informal real estate market” and by extension “informal property rights”, is now finding acceptance in scholarly literature. One of the underpinning reasons is the “new” understanding of “rules” as institutions and the re-definition of “markets” within institutional economics. This has resulted in the redefinition of key concepts in support of the operation and study of informal real estate markets. The paper is based largely on in-depth literature review, observations and original thought. The paper argues that the functioning of informal real estate markets is consistent with the theory on institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background: The blockchain technology is as a new technology in vogue that is virtually getting a swift application in most important art world transactions. This is due to its public distributed, transparent, accountable, traceable and safe, ledger database, also is the advantage to secure a successful transaction without a third party. As the world keeps growing in the knowledge and the adoption of the technology, it is very important to practically explore the opportunities in this technology to combat the security and copyright problems facing land ownership transactions in the Cadastre system. Goal and Objectives: The goal of this paper is to practically access the possibility of engaging the blockchain technology in land administration and ownership systems while the objective is to convert legal instrument(s) into cryptographic readable data. Methodology: This was done by minting survey plans template into Non-Fungible Token. Two blockchains (Solana and CORE blockchains) were considered to show the possibility of adopting the technology in land administration and ownership systems. The selection was based on their flexibility, Scalability and the potentials to solve the trilemma blockchain problems. A survey plan template called DEMO (no real) was created for this purpose. Transactions on the FONE network Art NFT marketplace built on Solana blockchain was examined while an art NFT of survey plan template was minted on the Youngparrot NFT marketplace built on CORE blockchain. Results: The transactions were completed and the survey plan was successfully minted on the Core blockchain. the minting and transaction records are available and can be traced on the public blockchain ledger. Due to this advantage, this paper urges the consideration to take advantage of the possibilities and positivity of the technology in Land Administration sector and land ownership system and also provides steps to achieving its successful adoption. In addition, this is not a financial advice but a research work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and Background: The specialised land court in Zambia is known as the Lands Tribunal, and it was created in 1996 through the 1995 Lands Act. The Tribunal was established with the objective of achieving speedy, low cost, flexible and efficient means of settling conflicts over land. Inspite of being existence for 27 years, little has been done on the progress and challenges of the Lands Tribunal in resolving conflicts over land in the country. Goal and Objectives: This paper aims at establishing the progress made by the Lands Tribunal in resolving conflicts over land and investigating the challenges faced by the Lands Tribunal in resolving conflicts over land. Methodology: The study incorporated the use of both primary and secondary data collected between January and October 2023. Secondary data were obtained through documents which include peer-reviewed journal articles, theses, books, media, Zambian land laws, and technical reports. Secondary data was supplemented by primary data obtained from three purposively selected institutions: Lands Tribunal, Law Association of Zambia, and Zambia Land Alliance (Kitwe office). The data collection method used with the key informants was in-depth face-to-face interviews. Office management at each institution chose the key informant based on their expertise and experience on the subject. Results: In order to strengthen the Tribunal's operations, the Lands Tribunal Act of 2010 was enacted, enhancing the Tribunal's operations by granting it more authority and responsibilities (that is, expanding jurisdiction). Research findings showed that between 2014 and 2023, the Lands Tribunal handled 3318 cases. According to research findings, if the Tribunal was operating efficiently and effectively, it could have handled more than 3,318 cases between 2014 and 2022 considering the numerous problems facing the general courts which adversely affect the general public to resolve their land conflicts. However, the Tribunal could not handle more cases because of various challenges which include inadequate funding, Inadequate staff, poor conditions of service for members of the Tribunal, inadequate transport, delay in the delivery of judgments, low public awareness of the Lands Tribunal, centralised operations of the Lands Tribunal, and forum shopping [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Multidimensional Poverty (MP) considers poverty in multiple dimensions of deprivations such as health, education, energy, the standard of living and access to basic services. MP remains a major challenge in Africa, with a large proportion of the population living in MP. According to United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Africa has shown the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) having over 40% of its population living in MP. Goal and Objectives: This paper is a review, aimed at assessing the potential of the integration of satellite and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mapping MP, with a specific focus on Africa. Methodology: Based on the reviews of past studies, the combination of satellite data such as nighttime light, daytime satellite imagery and high-resolution settlement data in combination with techniques such as field surveys, statistical correlation models (transfer learning) and AI (deep learning) has been applied in mapping MP. Results: The findings from studies show that the combination of satellite data and AI has the capability of providing more accurate and granular MP maps, compared to the traditional approach. Again, this paper explains the concept of MP with a specific focus on Africa and presents a map depicting the current MPI in African countries. Finally, pitfalls especially in the accuracy, granularity and frequency of MP data were identified. Consequently, the satellite and AI approaches are recommended for more accurate, frequent, cost-effective and granular data, required in mapping poverty and design of interventions that effectively address the needs of the vulnerable populations in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background A global land rush -driven by a variety of factors-is driving transformative change in African rural communities that depend on land for their livelihoods. This increased demand has resulted in the acquisition of large areas of land on the continent. While the pace and scale of land acquisition may be levelling off,1 in many cases, some or all of the land acquired by investors stands idle.2 Land return- in which a private company legally transfers all or part of its land holdings back to a community or government-is an emerging phenomenon that may be on the rise as companies seek to limit their exposure to risk, governments redesignate lands and communities push for the return of their land. Land return holds promise as a way to correct for overzealous and misguided land acquisition and historical injustices amidst a growing understanding of the value of land to communities. Goal and Objective Yet land return presents challenges, many of which may be unexpected. Though existing frameworks and guidelines regarding responsible investments require effective community consultation, there is less clarity and limited guidance on what risks, mitigation strategies, and tools are needed to safeguard the rights of communities in the context of land return. Methodology This paper brings forward experience from a recent land return process in Tanzania in which Landesa and its partners worked to identify and put into practice standards and approaches that protect community rights while supporting a company's efforts to comply with best practices, national and international requirements and expectations for responsible corporate practice. The tools and processes tested and shared through this project align with efforts to support implementation of the Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Areas (AfCFTA) and achieve the aspiration of the Africa We Want (Agenda 2063). Results: This paper highlights the importance of inclusive and transparent land governance practices by presenting a case study of Landesa's experience working with a forestry company to engage with communities and local land administration to understand needs and expectations around the companys intention to return approximately 14,000 hectares of land. The case study will highlight land return-related risks, present a model for community benefit sharing arrangements, and will share lessons learned, highlighting potential best practices that companies holding idle land might consider and employ to reallocate to landscarce communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background: The existence, survival and continuity of a number of income-generating activities (farming, mining, etc.) depend on land, making it an important lever for a country's development. However, if land is not properly managed and governed, this can leave the door wide open to various forms of embezzlement, including corruption. Corruption is well known to have a deleterious effect on its victims, and when it affects land tenure and access to land, it can affect more than just a country's economy. It can at the first time undermines a country's ability to trade properly with its neighbors, and hindering the continent's ability to fully harness the benefits of free trade agreements as well. Goal and objectives: In the context of Africa's commitment to promoting industrial development through the development of agriculture and food security, it is vital to talk about issues that could hinder these developments, and more specifically the reaching of the Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area implementation. In this instance, the aim is to talk about land corruption. Readers will be led to reflect into the critical role of addressing and eradicating land corruption as a fundamental prerequisite for the successful implementation of free trade initiatives in Africa, but also to facilitate sustainable economic growth and harmonious regional integration. Methodology: This paper offers a broad panorama of negative impacts of land corruption in Africa, and will be based on the experience and lessons of anti-corruption strategies deployed on the land sector in Madagascar. Through an in-depth analysis of the existing challenges, far-reaching consequences, and potential solutions, this work elucidates the paramount importance of curbing land corruption to foster sustainable economic growth, regional integration across the continent and African Continental Free Trade Area’s swift and sustainable implementation. Results: How does corruption affect the land tenure system? What impact does it have? Why and how is it incompatible with the objectives of the African continental free trade area? What can be done to tackle it, based on experience from Madagascar and extended to the African context? This paper gives inputs to those burning questions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) into businesses has become increasingly widespread in recent years, particularly in developed countries, fundamentally reshaping the landscape of entrepreneurship and innovation. AI presents numerous opportunities for small businesses, including those involved in cross-border trade. It has the potential to transform various aspects of business operations, such as customer interactions, marketing research, understanding consumer behavior, optimizing routes, and forecasting sales and marketing trends. Additionally, AI can contribute to the formalization of business processes, and assist these businesses in adapting more effectively to the ever-changing dynamics of the market. However, the successful implementation of AI necessitates a meticulous assessment of AI applications to ensure alignment with the objectives and resources of each individual small business. Goal and Objectives: The primary focus of this paper is to explore the potential of Artificial Intelligence in enhancing Africa's cross-border trade. The paper will address the following research questions: What are the effective applications of artificial intelligence in cross-border informal trade in Africa, and what are the limitations? What does the future hold for African countries in terms of utilizing artificial intelligence for cross-border trade? How can African informal cross-border traders and their stakeholders benefit from incorporating artificial intelligence in their activities? Methodology: The research is purely empirical research based on observation and measurement of phenomena, as directly experienced by the researcher. Results: AI can be effectively applied by Informal Cross-Border Traders (ICBT) to enhance their businesses and enhance competitiveness. There are several AI applications accessible to ICBT within their operational context. Although the adoption and utilization of AI in Africa are still in their infancy, there is considerable promise for the future. Africans must address the challenges hindering the adoption and utilization of AI, as technology is advancing rapidly, and opportunities await those who embrace it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Residing in flood-risk informal settlements is more or less regular among low-income households in most cities of developing countries. While living in such settlements presents a challenge to the quality of life, many among the urban poor resort to settle in these areas. Goal and objectives: This paper's focus is understanding why urban residents may choose to settle in areas that are considered flood prone. To understand this phenomenon, the factors that drive urban residents to acquire land and build houses in such areas are analysed. Methodology: Msasani Bonde la Mpunga in the city of Dar es Salaam was selected as a case study area. Data were collected using household questionnaires, key informant interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs) and field observations. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS software, while for qualitative data, thematic and content analysis were employed using MAXQDA. Results: Reasons for opting for land in marginal areas, including flood-prone sites, include; proximity to workplaces, easy and cheap land access, convenient access to social services, and connections to neighbours and friends. Others who had come in the settlement as tenants due to high proximity to low rental prices, later acquired land in the area. Other reasons include failure to acquire planned plots due to stringent procedures such as urban planning and house construction standards. Poverty and little awareness about flood risk were also contributing factors for people to acquire land in the area. Whilst the findings reveal that multiple factors shape home builders' decisions to acquire land in flood-risk areas, the paper calls for rethinking the strategies and opportunities for housing land delivery for low-income households in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and Background Like in a number of African countries, the issue of illegal acquisition of state land is evident in Zambia. There are public land institutions (that is, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and Local Authorities) mandated to deal with illegal acquisition of state land in the country. Despite the existence of the two public institutions, evidence shows a high frequency of illegal acquisition of state land in the country. Thus the key question for this paper was: how effective are these public institutions in dealing with cases of illegal occupation of land in Zambian cities?. Goal and Objectives: This paper aims at investigating the challenges faced by public land institutions in dealing with the illegal acquisition of state land and establishing the consequences of illegal acquisition of state land. Methodology: Primary data was collected from eight (8) respondents (two employees from Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources; two employees from Kitwe City Council; one employee from Civic Forum on Housing and Habitat; and one employee from Kitwe District Land Alliance). Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect information from the aforementioned respondents. Regarding secondary data, different types of documents were reviewed for this paper, and these included Zambian land laws, peer-reviewed journal articles, books, theses, technical reports, and conference proceedings. Results: This study has revealed that the two public land institutions face various challenges in addressing illegal acquisition of state. Challenges among others included limited provision of information on land acquisition procedure to the public, failure to address illegal allocation of land by some Councillors and council employees as well as some political cadres, and poor land record keeping. Moreover, illegal acquisition of state land had consequences which included demolition of properties, violence, disruption in land use planning, and loss of government revenue. In view of the foregoing, illegal acquisition can be addressed through: sufficient provision of information on land acquisition procedure to the public; eradicating illegal allocation of land by some Councillors and council employees as well as some political cadres; improving land record keeping by digitisation of land record keeping by local authorities and ultimately strong political will to deal with this vice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Zambia has grappled with implementing the land titling from 2017 when it started the piloting of the National Land Titling Programme through the seventh National Development Plan (2017- 2021). The implementation started in 2017 with a small pilot project conducted in Lusaka City in areas called Madido and Kamwala. In 2018, the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) signed an MoU with Medici Land Governance (MLG) to conduct another larger pilot to collect landownership information for 50,000 land parcels in Lusaka City using modern technology, such as use of drone imagery and artificial intelligence for identification of property boundaries, use of tablets and apps to collect ownership information from landowner, automation of production of survey diagrams and general plans of areas. Goal and Objectives: The objective of this paper is to address the issues around the use of private financing to secure tenure rights in urban areas and the issues around cultural beliefs among some communities in Lusaka, and the problems around customary land boundaries and expansions of towns affecting the cultural settings in the fringes of urban areas. Methodology: The MLNR, in partnership Medici Land Governance is working towards enabling the systematic titling of former farms or converted/replanned areas in order to update the existing cadastre and land information system. These are large farms in urban areas that have been replanned and even developed but landowners were still waiting for titles or former government or parastatal land that were sold. This paper reports on the progress made thus far, the challenges and opportunities to carry out a successful systematic land titling programme. The paper also tackles issues around challenges with traditional land boundaries versus state land. The paper recommends the need to carry out comprehensive reforms around the whole land administration system. This includes developing a unified land registry with devolved authority to local authorities, improving the land administration system with linked and integrated key registers such as the National Registration Information System being developed, the Registration of Companies and Societies, and linking to more electronic payment platforms. The paper concludes that private sector participation in the land sector needs support using results-based approaches of financing by multilateral partners as envisaged in the Global Partnership for Results-Based Approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Contract farming has been promoted as a more 'inclusive business model' in which local smallholder farmers can participate in and benefit from the wider benefits of investments in rural areas such as infrastructure development (power supply, roads, water supply), spillovers from increased incomes and, in some cases, mandatory development of education and health facilities. Contract farming models could have a positive impact on agricultural development and innovation in developing countries. Contract farming creates a system that links smallholder farmers with domestic and international buyers. Contract farming could secure existing local land rights of smallholder farmers by continuing farming on their land, promoting investments by investors and fostering the commercialization of smallholder farmers. Contract farming could enhance local food security. However, contract farming models do not always have a positive impact. Sometimes contractors make a profit without supporting or, sometimes, exploiting contracted smallholders. Goal and Objectives: The primary focus of this paper is to analyze the impact of contract farming on household food security. The paper will address the following research questions: What are the determinant factors that affect participation in contract farming? and What is the impact of contract farming on household food security in Kenya and Madagascar? Methodology: This study used three internationally recognized food security indicators to measure the food security status of the household: household dietary diversity score (HDDS), food consumption score (FCS) and the months of adequate household food provisioning (MAHFP). This study used an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model to estimate the impact of contract farming on household food security. The research is purely empirical research is based on observation and measurement of phenomena, as directly experienced by the researcher Results: AI can be effectively applied by Informal Cross-Border Traders (ICBT) to enhance their businesses and enhance competitiveness. There are several AI applications accessible to ICBT within their operational context. Although the adoption and utilization of AI in Africa are still in their infancy, there is considerable promise for the future. Africans must address the challenges hindering the adoption and utilization of AI, as technology is advancing rapidly, and opportunities await those who embrace it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Journal on Land Policy & Geospatial Sciences is the property of African Journal on Land Policy & Geospatial Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines how the zoning concepts and urban planning space standards adopted from colonial administration are implemented on the actual ground. Most cities in developing counties apply planning standards and concepts which are inherited from Europe or North America, Tanzania inclusive. Planning and design concepts that segregate residential, commercial and industrial activities and impose low densities that require large areas of urban land, and impose high transport and environmental costs and inhibit opportunities for local economic initiatives which can help lift communities out of poverty. Development control policies are also frequently based on imported or inherited norms, rather than traditional practices and local climatic conditions. Despite the existence of the inherited planning concepts and standards, however, little is known whether such concepts and standards are implemented on the actual ground and achieved. Goal and Objectives: The overall objective of this study is to examine whether the planning concepts and space standards inherited from colonial administration are implemented and achieved on the ground and the resulting effects on pedestrian mobility. Methodology: The study adopted descriptive research design of which data collection techniques involved case study, interviews, observations and surveys. A combination of methods were used during the fieldwork, including expert interviews to identify areas inside the case study block for in-depth survey, followed by intensive surveys, and use inventory and semi-structured interviews with residents. A total of 25 residents were purposely selected for in-depth interviews. Results: Fieldwork results reveal that the concept of zoning density plots according to incomes i.e. high, medium and low density plots to accommodate the low, middle and high income earners respectively is not fully implemented and it is outdated as it does not reflect the post-colonial reality. Likewise, the concepts of designating special land use per area such as pure residential, commercial, residential cum commercial, institutional or industrial areas, where no other uses are allowed are inappropriate today as they don't reflect the urban reality. The existing development in the study area seemed to be a kind of mixed use development. Violations of minimum setbacks and plot coverage in the study area were prevailing. The planned public open spaces or road reserves were mainly used for commercial, office, religious site and parking activities instead of green areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background: Cities in developing world are experiencing rapid urbanization characterized by rapid population growth. Tanzania like many other most of urban areas face poor public transport which force city dwellers to use alternative transport including walking. With lack of pedestrian infrastructures like segregated walkways, roads accidents create a great challenge for pedestrian safety. Goal and Objectives: This paper attempts to explore the influence of mixed traffic on occurrence of pedestrian related roads accidents in urban built environments. Methodology: Analysis of road accidents statistics and interview of road users and road traffic police were done in order to generate the link between mixed traffic and roads accidents for pedestrians Results: The results indicates that, the majority of road accidents involve a pedestrian with other traffic such as vehicles, motorcycles, buses, Lorries but not pedestrians themselves. This paper concludes that most of the road's accidents for the pedestrian are the result of conflict or collision with other road users. Road accident statistics indicate that most of the pedestrian road accidents involve cars and pedestrians at 26%, pedestrians and motorcycles at 39%, pedestrians and buses at 26%, pedestrians and bicycles at 4% and pedestrians and three-wheelers at 5.1%. This indicates that the existing traffic mix situation increases the danger of the pedestrian to be involved in road accidents. The paper also concludes that the violation of regulation by different roads users impacted the safety of pedestrian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of African Journal on Land Policy & Geospatial Sciences is the property of African Journal on Land Policy & Geospatial Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Context and background: This paper explores the intersection of smart cities and urban preservation models. The concept of smart cities is rapidly gaining momentum as a way to improve efficiency, sustainability, and livability of urban areas. However, the pursuit of these goals can sometimes conflict with the need to preserve historic and culturally significant urban areas. Main goal and objectives: This paper examines how smart city technologies can be integrated with urban preservation models to create sustainable and liveable cities while also preserving their unique character and cultural heritage. Methodology: It discusses case studies of cities that have successfully implemented such integration, as well as challenges and opportunities for future implementation. Mauritius, like many other countries, is exploring the concept of smart cities as a means to enhance its urban infrastructure and improve the quality of life for its citizens. Smart cities leverage technology and data to optimize various aspects of urban life, including transportation, energy management, public services, and environmental sustainability. While smart cities present numerous opportunities for Mauritius, they also come with their fair share of challenges. Results: The paper examines the challenges and opportunities of the development of smart cities in the Mauritian context. It concludes that smart cities and urban preservation models can complement each other, and that their integration can lead to a more harmonious and sustainable urban future. By integrating smart city technologies and urban preservation models, cities can create a harmonious balance between technological advancement, sustainability, and the preservation of historical and cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kyungu (sometimes known as Kiungu or Kyungu) and Kifunyi, (sometimes known as Mbuoni, Mbuonyi, Kifuunyi or Ukuunyi) are revered places for any Chagga family. It is located within a Chagga Kihamba and is believed to be the origin or first settlement of the clan, marked by the presence of a significant tree and traditional Chagga sacred plant--isale. Within the Kyungu and Kifunyi landscapes, one finds a scatter of material remains, including potsherds, bones, bottles and pieces of clothes. These material cultures and local narratives signify spiritual practices, rituals and remembrance ceremonies around the Kyungu and Kifunyi area. Elders and spiritual leaders meet under Kyungu to perform such rituals and other related ceremonies to remember clan ancestors and ask for ancestral interventions to resolve hunger, droughts and other natural calamities. Following these community--Kyungu and Kifunyi interactions, the landscape in which isale forms a part has acquired a special status serving as a medium through which the living communicates with the dead. Although there is a slight alteration in the performance and continuation of these practices due to the invention of modern religions such as Christianity, these activities continue to take place under and around these spots. The community still cherish and maintains these places as heritage and a connector between the dead and the living. Against this background, this paper seeks to show how land and culture among the Chagga of Kilimanjaro, NE Tanzania are markers of deeptime spirituality and human-environment interactions. This paper argues that land and culture are both symbols and means of identity creation in which social relations between ancestors, the living and even the environment are constructed and prosper. For consistency, this paper uses Kyungu and Kifunyi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electronic land titling in the field of land administration being a new concept of right registration on land and properties developed on it, is seen to be the future of a centric land administration in Rwanda. Rwanda is promoting a cashless economy and a full paperless land administration aiming at promoting the principle of "zero trip zero paper". Since the completion of systematic land registration, the country has achieved a commendable work in the regularization of land tenure system which took place from 2009 to 2013 resulting to a mass land titling process where over 10,6 million of land certificates were registered and issued to land owners at a glance. Given that the application to land services mostly results to the issuance of a physical land title which acts as the proof of land ownership that can be presented as a collateral to financial institutions while applying for financial support, the title is supposed to be strictly taken care by the owner to avoid the loss or physical damage. Also, the production of a physical land title implies huge cost to the Government of Rwanda and to the citizens. Once e-titling is implemented, all these bottlenecks will be addressed since land owners will only use their electronic gadgets like phones, IPADS and computers to access their information and keep their land titles digitally. This paper seeks to enlighten policy makers and professionals in land administration on the importance of implementing electronic land titling and how it can increase transparency, equity, and accountability and speed up land related services and other services that require a proof of real property ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goal and Objectives: This paper examined the relations between informal documentations and land tenure security on change in land use/cover. Using Chamuka land registration, the paper focuses on caused of land use/cover change and how informal documents-based land dealings leads to tenure security and a more productive land use. Methodology: The study used various methods, including 345 households' interviews, group discussions and satellite images of 2010, 2015 and 2020, to understand how land ownership in Chamuka chiefdom effect on land use. Results: The study results shows that the introduction of Land Advisory Boards (LABs), Customary Certificate of Land Occupancy (CCLO) and the land register has scored several successes (i.e., increase in land rights, ownership, low cost of land registration, tenure security and reduction in land-related conflicts. Other improvements include the practice of conservation farming, i.e. agroforestry, fire management resulting to improved crop and livestock farming. Despite these positive results, the satellite images showed decline in vegetation and forest cover due to expansion of agricultural area, buildup and decrease in water bodies. This study provides new insights into how the evolution of the traditional land tenure system, as an integral part of resource governance, its effect on land use/cover. Next to suggesting is how to strengthen informal documents, and efficiency of local land management institutions in order to reduce loss of vegetation and deforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land conflicts remain the major character of informal settlements in urban areas. Goal and Objectives This paper explores the nature and characteristics of land conflicts in areas with informal settlements as experienced from regularization projects in Tanzania. Methodology The study used field observations to collect data on boundary conflicts and household interviews to collect data on border conflicts, land use conflicts, and ownership conflicts. The data was collected through a combination of primary and secondary methods. The focus discussion was conducted with members of the Mtaa Regularisation Committee for different sub-wards. Results The study discovered that the major types of land conflicts in informal settlements include boundary conflicts, land use conflicts, inheritance conflicts, accessibility conflicts, sales, and transfer of ownership. Boundary conflicts remain the main form of conflict appearing in informal settlements. Regularization of informal settlements is now seen as a tool to address the problem of informal settlement conflicts in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wave of formalization of indigenous and Community land rights has been witnessed across many African countries. This could partly be in response to the Africa Union declaration on land issues and challenges in Africa. Under the declaration, member states are urged to review their land sectors, with a view to develop comprehensive policies, which take into account peculiar needs. Additionally, a number of international frameworks such as the United Nation Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP 2007) have seen issues around the need to secure indigenous people's land rights feature more prominently. Objective The aim of this paper is to interrogate how women's rights to customary and communally owned land can be secured or strengthened, alongside those of other community members in formalization processes. Using systemic review, we probe the likelihood of community land registration process resulting to strengthened tenure rights for women, and recommend possible policy and practical options. The paper does not pick a dichotomy of 'good' or 'bad' in reference to registration of indigenous and community lands in Kenya but recommends the need to shift the discourse on women's rights in communal land tenure systems from ownership to control. Interrogating who has what rights in the land is more beneficial that knowing who owns the land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Presently, one of the major challenges confronting the growth of rapidly urbanizing cities is the fact that, cities are growing in unsustainable form which is largely market-led growth and suffers from informal land market distortions. From a conventional point of view, planning aims at achieving compact growth. At the moment, The pervasive knowledge gap especially inadequacies in theoretical premises and polices on city forms and have contributed to mixed forms in many cities of the urbanizing world. Extensive literature expounding on practical problems related to ineffective planning interventions is also scanty. Goal and Objectives: This paper is an attempt to exploring the implications of urban land markets on the emerging city form, it aims at examining theoretical premises with regard to influence of urban land markets on city form transformation in rapidly urbanizing cities context. Methodology This paper drew empirical evidences from four (4) settlements located in broad acre policy areas in Dodoma National Capital City. Mixed approach was adopted in which both, qualitative and quantitative data were collected. Data were collected using official and household interviews, focus group discussions, measurements and observations. Results The study findings reveal that informal land buying and selling, informal plot subdivision and densification, informal change of land uses and unregulated land price inflations have contributed to the consolidated city form on areas closer to public services and Central Business District (CBD). The findings further reveal that there is sprawling city form in areas far from public services, infrastructure and CBD. As a way forward it is recommended that, there is a need to revisit policies, legislation and guidelines governing city planning towards agglomeration of settlement centres and provision of services and infrastructure. It is also recommended that there is a need to redevelop areas along main roads and identify areas for infill development and establish special guidelines advocating compact city development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women make essential contributions to agriculture by playing a large role in food crop production. They require land as source of rural livelihood and monetary strengthening through land right security. Women's ownership of land and property can be potentially transformative, not only as a store of value, but also as a means of acquiring other assets and engaging in a range of markets. However, women have lower access to productive resources (land and capital) compared to their male counterparts. Goal and Objectives This paper broadly examines land tenure and agricultural intensification by women farmers in Nigeria, and their effects on crop commercialization. Specifically, this paper examines land tenure systems, analyzes agricultural intensification and evaluates crop commercialization among women farmers in Nigeria. Methodology The Nigeria General Household Survey (GHS) 2018 were used. Data for 1,962 women farmers were extracted from the dataset. These include socioeconomic characteristics of women farmers as well as information on land tenure systems, agricultural intensification and crop commercialization. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics to examine land tenure systems; Ruthenberg Index, Labour Use Intensity, and Fertilizer Use Intensity to analyze agricultural intensification; Crop Commercialization Index (CCI) to evaluate crop commercialization and Tobit Regression Model to measure the effects of land tenure systems and agricultural intensification on crop commercialization among women farmers in Nigeria. Results Results show that the total number of plots held by women was 2,378 and the average farm size cultivated was 0.43hectare. Women practiced land tenure mainly by inheritance (42.9% of the plots). Though there are restrictions on land inheritance by women in some cultures, they have been able to have access to farm plots by land market; through outright purchase (39.9%) and rent (8.4%). Results on agricultural intensification show that the mean land use intensity was 0.26(±0.26). Also, on the average, labour use was approximately 55mandays/hectare and fertilizer use was 728kg/hectare. Crop commercialization results show that almost three-quarters (71.10%) of the women farmers were market oriented at different levels (0%

Context and background Many are the suggestions on how to develop a new land information system or evaluate how successful is the existing system. However, guidance about how the created system can be kept up to date is shallowly mentioned in the literature while it is the key feature for its sustainability. Goal and Objective This paper is part of an extensive research done regarding the updating of land information systems that were created using unconventional approaches during systematic land registration. For these systems, huge database are created in a short period during the initial registration. To minimize uncertainties that may be in the updating phase, a framework was developed and presented in this paper. Methodology A refined traditional approach for system design was used in the development of this framework. The design requirements were extracted from literature and they were refined basing on the responses of land experts from nine case-study countries. These refined requirements were used to develop the updating framework and its validation was done by experts in the use of unconventional approaches in land registration. Results The developed framework explains what to consider in the updating to ensure the registration of changes in land records. The framework is composed of 'dimension' which is a group of parameters related to each other; 'parameters' of land information system that are worthy to consider in the updating and the 'requirements' describing how to design these parameters to ensure that changes in land records are being registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Infusion of technologies such as Geographical Information Systems into organizations has in most cases been associated with the concept of championing. Geographical Information Systems when developed across countries and/or regions, are integrable to create Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI). In the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) region, the concept of SDI at national level have been acknowledged and/or kick-started by each member country. The efforts by these countries in development of National SDIs are evaluated with the aim of advancing a Southern African Customs Union Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure. SACU was incepted in 1889 and has metamorphosed into a collaborative trade block of five Southern African countries. In the context of geospatial information, it is advanced that as a region, it has discoverable opportunities and organizational platform for developing and hosting Spatial Data Infrastructure. A consideration is made that spatial data is capable of strengthening operational, tactical and strategic endeavors of SACU by providing evidence-based support to decisions and policy making. Goal and Objectives: The objective being interrogated in this paper, is the discoverability of geospatial data and information systems in Southern African Customs Union that can be integrated with its trade data and championed into Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure. Methodology: Mixed method of both quantitative and qualitative was used. In qualitative form, documents, questionnaires, interviews and workshop attendance have been utilized to decipher the attitudes of various stakeholders within Southern African Customs Union towards a Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure Concept. In a quantitative form, discoverable data has been found then further processed in line with the goal and objectives stated above. Results: Results obtained have enabled an elementary geodatabase proposition and maps of the region with a number of macroeconomic indicators. Furthermore, a discussion has been done to advance a preliminary determination of sponsor and champion of Southern African Customs Union Regional Spatial Data Infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background: This paper explorers the perspectives of pedestrians on the walking environment in Dar es Salaam in order to inform the land use and transport planners to think of walking spaces in a situation of increased motorised means of transport for enhancing pedestrian safety. Despite a significant number of urban trips in Sub-Saharan African cities are made on foot; still the infrastructural facilities for pedestrians and the other Non-Motorised Transport have largely been neglected. Faced with high rates of motorisation and the advent of transportation technology; city authorities are more preoccupied with road-based motorised transport systems. Most city authorities including Dar es Salaam are busy building arterial streets, Rapid Bus Transport systems (BRTs), flyovers and expansion of highways to inter alia reduce motorised congestion, while the needs of pedestrians are widely ignored, a situation that expose pedestrians to road accidents and poor spatial quality on the ground. Goal and Objectives: The overall objective of this paper is to examine the perspectives of pedestrians on the walking environmennt in a stuation of increased transport and to recommend for policy and planning interventions through which the walking environment in cities of developing countries can be improved. Methodology: On methodological fronts, the study adopted a mixed research methodological approach and a caste study research strategy. Data were collected by using observations, unguided group discussions, questionnaire and checklist. Open and closed questions were developed and addressed to the resident households, pedestrians and professional experts to provide views regarding the walking environment in Sub Saharan African cities. A total of 100 respondents (72 resident households and 28 pedestrians) and 22 pupils were purposely selected from three sub/cases for in-depth interviews. Out of 100 respondents 28 were women, 12 were people with disabilities and 15 were the elderly (aged 60+) persons. Results: The findings revealed that the physical environment in Dar es Salaam is not pedestrian friendly as the pedestrians' requirements are inadequately considered in the national related policies and project implementations. People in Dar es Salaam perceive that the walking environment is uncomfortable, dangerous and insecure from crime. The walkways provided lacked continuity, maintenances, safety, street furniture and fixtures. The walkways also experienced encroachments by street vendors, flooding and damping of solid wastes. The National policies give little attention to pedestrians and other NMT road users, who are often the losers in the struggle for urban space and have little power to influence the urban transport agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background: Increasing refugee crisis has focused most host states to integrate refugees with the local communities through land access to customary land whose land rights are not clearly defined and documented. So, the emerging research question is which tenure arrangement can guarantee secure land accessibility to refugees but also security of tenure to customary landowners to minimize potential land conflicts and civil wars in refugee host communities. Goal and Objectives: This article is a synthesis of ongoing work to securely integrate refugees on customary land while ensuring tenure security of the customary holders. Associated questions are: what are the refugee requirements for sustainable integration in land accessibility; what are the key features of customary tenure that impact refugees' access to land; and what challenges are likely to be encountered while integrating refugees on customary land. Methodology: The methodology based on Barry et al.'s six-stage approach of the state of the art (SotA). Literature search for the relevant articles was from scientific database of Scopus and MyLOFT platform online databases such as SAGE, Research4Life, JSTOL WILEY, Taylor and Francis, Springer from 1987 to 2023. The key words used included customary land', 'refugee integration requirements', 'refugees' land accessibility', 'tenure arrangements for non-citizens' and 'refugee-host community conflicts'. Lastly snowball search was also applied to identify more articles from high impact journals. The results: Results clearly indicate that despite the growing trend of granting refugees access to land, most available tenure arrangements in Sub Saharan African countries do not allow refugees to hold land which leads to insecure accessibility. Land accessibility only leads to sustainable integration if there is refugees' selfreliance, peaceful co-existence between refugees and host community, and sustainable livelihood which all depend on secure accessibility to land. Customary tenure is characterized by land rights governed by unwritten traditional rules and laws, inheritance and membership of a known social group which are associated with tenure insecurity that adversely affects both host communities and refugees. The paper recommends a need for a tenure arrangement that can facilitate secure access to land for refugees but also guarantee tenure security of land rights for hosts on customary land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With most of the world population living in cities, there is an increasing complexity that is accompanying this process. In addition to the growing number of agents interfering in the planning process and in cities evolution, it is important to note that until today urban policy fails to understand its dynamics. Complexity sciences offers an open system methodology to approach urban systems. However, it is not a recent trend, but it has taken time to be part of the urban planning process. Complexity sciences are based on a wide range of approaches that aim to reflect back our understanding of the world. In this paper we intend to set the grounds for discussion about a new emerging city science based on complexity sciences methods. Context and background This paper will explore the contribution of complexity sciences in city sciences. It starts by defining complexity sciences and tracing the evolution of urban theories until nowadays. It argues that a new science of cities based on complexity is required to understand urban systems and be able to guide urban policy choices. In fact complexity sciences applied to urban studies has challenged many misconceptions and generated counterintuitive assumptions that has helped build a new understanding of cities dynamics Goal and Objectives: This contribution is aimed at setting a common ground for urban planning professionals and academics about complexity sciences to set a debate on the importance of opening cities to complexity sciences. Methodology: In this paper we review the evolution of urban planning theories and trends chronologically and identify the tendency towards complexity. We then define complexity sciences based on reviewing main contributions in the field and end by presenting examples and applications of complexity sciences in understanding urban phenomena. Results: Major findings include the eminence of shifting our approach to urban planning from a reductionist point of view to a transdisciplinary approach that is based on system thinking and oriented towards complexity sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compulsory land acquisition is inevitable for developing countries so that they can implement projects in urban areas for the quest of sustainable urban development. However, the decisions on land acquisition have to be contextualised so that the PAPs should be protected from disruptions and loss of livelihoods that may lead to uncertain sustainable urban development. This paper examines two projects implemented in Bujumbura City through compulsory land acquisition. A desk review and checklist question have been mobilised to collect data that are source of information presented herein. The results show that compulsory purchase, purchase by agreement and the combination of the two have been applied to acquire land. Furthermore, these approaches caused the eruption of informal settlements and petty trading activities where PAPs were involved in. Therefore, the paper recommends to have a contextualised approach in the process of compulsory land acquisition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Africa's age-old architectural knowledge is replete with diverse design techniques that satisfy not only aesthetic but also functional purposes. Nevertheless, as is normally the case with many African creative endeavors, this knowledge is not fully harvested. Yet from the COVID-19 pandemic, which demands rethinking of how space is used, to climate change, which questions how structures are designed and made, the need to consider how African architecture can shape the Africa we need, not to mention its contribution to global architecture, is pressing. Goal and Objectives: This paper aims to showcase African architecture, and how local materials and design can help mitigate issues running from climate change and affordability to public health and communal living. Since modernization is normally equated with Westernization, such architecture has often been seen as 'uncivilized'. As that needs to change, to what extent can African architecture be fully utilized to meet the demands on land in a culturally and environmentally sound manner? Methodology: To highlight how African architectural richness can be harvested for better land governance in tandem with safeguarding arts, culture and heritage, this paper employs three case studies. They include Demas Nwoko's sustainable African design; the M'Zab Valley's locally adapted vernacular architecture; and Washington's African American Museum exhibition of African architectural influence on the global stage. Results: A compelling body of historical and contemporary evidence confirms that African architecture is full of innovative ideas. But except for a few isolated cases, it has yet to be fully cultivated and harvested. Nonetheless, if land usage is paramount, and if the arts, culture and heritage are needed to build the Africa we need, then there is a need to take African architecture seriously in land policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background: This paper presents a study based on a three-year study by the Land Development and Governance Institute (LDGI), in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, to test the efficacy of the application of Kenya's new Community Land Act. The study sites are in Isiolo and Marsabit Counties, both in the Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) Northern Kenya. Goal and objectives: The paper has the objective to demonstrate the importance of adequate sensitisation of the key actors (government, political and community) at county level and the grass root communities, the use of participatory and inclusive processes to establish the community governance organs and fulfil the statutory requirements provided under this new law. The study also highlights the importance of the use of community champions to ensure the continuous sensitisation of community members, and to to galvanise the communities in the registration and management of their land. Methodology: Through the study, communities were supported to develop basic tools to guide them in land use planning and investor negotiations. The land use planning guide developed will help the communities to liase with the county government to prepare a land use development plan which is expected to enhance the sustainable use of the community land, while the investor negotiation guide developed will be helpful during negotiations with investors interested in partnering with the communities for investments on their land. The use of the investor guides is expected to inform the preparation of mutually beneficial investor agreements as anticipated under the Community Land Act. Results: It is expected that the lessons from the study, which include: community empowerment, use of participatory inclusive processes, ensuring gender equity in the composition of governance organs and in decision making processes, embracing the youth, use of champions and avoiding the negative impacts of the adjudication of community land will be useful to state and non-state implementers of the new law, and may be used to inform the scaling up implementation countrywide. It is also expected that gaps identified in the new law, such as the management of the inheritance rights of children married outside the community, and those divorced, will inform law review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine-scale mapping of residential land price (RLP) is essential to the understanding of residential land market dynamics and improving urban planning. However, cartographic resources and experimental studies to map RLP at fine-scale in Sub-Saharan African cities are limited as a result of dominance of informal land markets in shaping the growth and expansion of most of the cities in the region. Goal and Objectives: The study seeks to establish an optimized ensemble machine-learning method for mapping RLP at grid-level in Dar-es-Salaam City, Tanzania. Methodology: The study utilizes RLPs collected at the sub-ward level via the survey method and uses open data such as Nighttime Lights (NTL) and amenities coordinates points from OpenStreetMap. This paper explores the ability of two (2) ensemble machine learning methods, i.e. Random Forest Regression (RF-R) and XGBoost Regression, for mapping RLP at grid-level. Results: Results illustrate that RF-R was slightly superior to XGBoost Regression and thus it was used to map RLP at fine-scale. The relative importance of explanatory variables in the RF-R model demonstrated that NTL was by far the most important determinant for the RLP spatial distribution in Dar-es-Salaam. NTL it is commonly used as a proxy for socioeconomic factors such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and population, hence describing typical characteristics of informal land markets. This is contrary to findings in the global-north with a dominance of formal urban land markets whereby factors such as commercial and educational amenities are found to be very important in estimating RLPs. The paper presents a cost-effective methodological approach for mapping land prices at fine-scale in Dar-es-Salaam city and other cities with similar characteristics in the region, hence improving urban decision and policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background There is a reciprocal relationship between theory, policy and practice. Property valuation as practiced today is elucidated by certain standards and policies which are based on theoretical foundations. The axioms of value have been postulated throughout history, from pre-classical times to the present, with succeeding theorists, some adopting the former's reason with adjustments and some refuting. The necessity for exploring the historical development of the value theory is because, "theories are the building blocks of scientific knowledge" and it makes the explanation of reality possible (Mooya, 2016). The current processes and practice of property valuation can be traced to the economic value theory reasoning (Appraisal Institute, 2022). Changing times entail evolving and new demands on professions to answer emerging challenges. The valuation profession is no exception hence the need for continued research and postulations of the property valuation theory, and amendment of policies to the improved practice. Goal and Objectives: This article seeks to map the property valuation policy and practice in Zimbabwe, show the possibility of accord between the property valuation theory, policy and practice, and identify areas that need improvement in the valuation practice in Zimbabwe. The article also contributes to the ongoing discussions on property valuation theory and practice. Methodology: The article was based on a literature review approach. Extant literature in the form of books and journal papers was explored to discover the implication of the property valuation theory to practice and its evolution. Legal and policy documents were also consulted in search of the existence of property valuation theory in legal prescriptions. Results: The article found that value is a product of its time and place, which should be understood contextually. It also established that, though property value is illustrated as a numerical figure, there are processes for value determination that emanated from the economic value theory reasoning to the effect that, the present value understanding is a contextualized deduction of the past reasoning. Further, the article argues that the value theory is evolving slowly at the expense of the valuation profession in the face of contemporary challenges such as economic crises, pandemics and compensations after expropriation. Additionally, the standard economic value theory seems to be found wanting in answering the property valuation questions within some contexts such as the expropriation of communal and customary lands. Also, the Zimbabwean practice, as much as it embraces the Western-based property valuation theory, the policy is obscure and sketchy indicating an incoherent relationship between theory, policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background: With the advent of rising global initiatives to address climate change and sustainability, interest in addressing theoretical and practical alignment of how professional valuers consider environmental attributes has become the focus of much attention. Yet the overlap between consideration and non-consideration of environmental factors might significantly impact the value. Goal and objectives: This paper evaluates the perceptions of professional valuers on the consideration of environmental features during their valuation. Methodology: Data to inform the study was collected through questionnaires distributed to 89 randomly selected valuers registered with the VRB. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS, and Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the reliability of the questionnaire survey. The relative importance index was used to rank the importance of environmental factors, whereas the Chi-square test was used to examine existing practices in terms of prominent tools and methodologies used to incorporate environmental attributes into their valuation assignments. Results: The study reveals that, in Tanzania, there is a growing consciousness of the need to consider environmental attributes in practice though indicated that there is a challenge with how they consider these attributes using prominent valuation techniques in place. The study suggests that valuers and other stakeholders are eager to learn how to consider and integrate environmental features and contemporary valuation techniques to provide up-to-date estimates to support informed decision. The study recommends introducing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors in terms of their theoretical foundation and practical implication on property valuation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethiopia follows a federal state administrative structure. Regional states are organized on ethnic basis. The country has over 85 ethnic groups and languages, but only majority ethnic groups, with a few exceptions, have their own standalone regional states. The Constitution of the country categorizes land as a public property and gives land administration responsibilities to regional states. Although the Constitution confirms land access right to all citizens, regional states' constitutions and land laws put restrictions to prioritize residents. Goal and Objectives: The paper aims at revealing some of the linkage between ethnic-based federalism and its impact on access to land and tenure security. By gathering and analyzing evidence from literatures and land experts, the paper provides with important recommendations for the way forward helping to improve access to land and tenure security for all. Methodology: Literature review and observation of dynamics in access to land and tenure security led the Author to administer a quick survey among land experts. About 25 experts who have knowledge and experience in the country's land administration system responded to survey questions. After data was collected and compiled, a simple descriptive statistics method was applied to analyze and generate understandable, tangible, and acceptable results. Results: Findings from the survey indicated that regional and local authorities' unfair treatment towards people coming outside of regional states discourages investment and provokes conflict. The country experienced hundreds of conflicts since ethnic-based federalism was introduced in 1991. In addition to ethnic categorization, the conflicts have their root in landholding arrangements. Although there are major steps being taken in reforming the macroeconomy including privatizing government owned enterprises like telecom, it is not yet clear if the government will continue to reform the land tenure system and ethnic-based federalism. Respondents in the survey indicated that the current land tenure and governance systems need changes allowing free movement of citizens, encouraging investment, prevailing peace, and improving access to land and tenure security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background Presently, in developing countries, growth of major cities is characterized by pressure on livelihood activities especially on potential inner-streets which attract variety of users including petty traders to interact on prime spaces hence leading to increased pressure on governing informal activities. Legally, in a conventional point of view, local government authorities are considered as key actors for successful petty trading governance capacity. Despite current development agendas and policies on informal economy and space governance, still there is an observed practical and theoretical gap thus making knowledge on the capacity of local government authorities' governance in petty trading being limited. Goal and Objectives: The present paper explores capacity of local government authorities in governing inner-city petty trading. Particularly, it focuses on examining local government authorities' petty trading governance objectives, actors, coordination and rationality with regard to their contribution towards effective local government authorities petty trading governance capacity. Methodology: This paper uncovered empirical evidences from Dodoma city council actors and selected commercial, institutional, pedestrian, recreational inner streets accommodating petty trading activities in Dodoma National capital city. Mixed research strategy was adopted and qualitative and quantitative data were collected using official interviews to the city council officials, interviews to the petty traders, focus group discussion with city council officials and street observations. Results: The findings uncovered that, local government authority petty trading governance is complex structured with involvement of more than one actor within and yet, its capacity is being restrained by disjointed execution of their functions and limited potential permanent spaces with the continuum demand on timely decisions to make rational space governance. Land officials and Trade and finance officials hold more powers over other actors within local government authorities thus, limiting the effective governance power capacity to be more replicable. The study suggests on the need to balance power and mandates of each actor to avoid conflicting interests and maximize execution commitment through timely and well-constructed cross-sectorial institutional framework which sensitize representatives from ground beneficiaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rwanda is recognized as a global land governance leader due to the success of its Land Tenure Regularisation Program (LTRP), which resulted in the registration of over 11 million parcels and the issuance of 7 million certificates of title, and the establishment of the Land Administration Information System (LAIS). These notable achievements have contributed to land market viability, reductions in land disputes, and increased land-based revenue. However, some land administration challenges persist, including high costs and delays for buyers and sellers, as well as the double selling of land, identity fraud, and repudiation associated with land transfers. In recognition of the need for innovative solutions to these persistent challenges, Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority (RLMUA), Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), and Medici Land Governance (MLG) developed Ubutaka App, a paperless, secure, and fully interoperable land administration system. The system uses emerging technology to simplify land transactions by voluntary sale and prevent double selling of land, identity fraud, and repudiation. Designed for use by Land Notaries and Registrars in Rwanda, and currently being piloted in Gasabo District, Ubutaka requires only one visit to a notary through the use of biodata, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and blockchain. The web-based application integrates seamlessly with existing Rwandan systems, including Irembo, LAIS, and Rwanda National Identification Agency (NIDA) to securely transmit citizens' information. Authorizations and approvals by users are completed using PKI. Finally, for added transparency and security, key components of the process are recorded on blockchain. The adoption of advanced land governance systems enhanced by emerging technologies, such as Public Key Infrastructure and blockchain, enables the Government of Rwanda to solve modern land sector problems and better protect the country's land heritage. This paper demonstrates how technologies such as Ubutaka App provide opportunities for positive transformation in citizen-centric land administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and background The role of customary land tenure institutions in land governance is immeasurable. Notwithstanding the enormous role of customary land tenure institutions in local land governance, they are fraught with problems. The governability of customary land tenure institutions is critical to good local land governance, however, the literature has mainly focused on examining the role and capacity of customary land tenure institutions with little attention to good local land governance indicators. Goal and Objectives: The goal of this paper is to assess the governability of the Odupongkpehe customary land tenure institution in the Awutu Senya East Municipal area of Ghana. The objectives of this paper are to examine the quality and capacity of the Odupongkpehe customary land tenure institution. Methodology: The study was conducted in the Awutu Senya Municipal area of Ghana. The concurrent mixed methods design was used for the study. Data was collected from 178 landowners, and key officials in customary and statutory land governance. Data was collected from 10th February to 24th February 2019. Semi-structured interview schedules used for data collection in this study was developed and pretested on 14th January 2019. Results: The results evinced that the governability of the customary land tenure institutions was poor due to the failure of institutions to interact with the populace in the customary area. Furthermore, the customary institution did not have the capacity to govern since it was constrained by inadequate staff and logistics and did not collaborate with public land sector agencies. The study recommends the formulation and implementation of a Customary Land Secretariat policy to guide the activities of customary land governance structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many African societies, there are various forms and levels of cultural gender infringement of human rights and property denials. Over the years, these violations become well-established through cultural gender conjectures. Perhaps, nowhere in Nigeria is this property rights violation more pronounced and evident than in the Igboland, the south-eastern part of the country. Conjectures such as women do not own land (nwanyi adighi enwe ala), another man's compound (ama onye ozo) amongst others depict the social classification of women in southeastern communities. The implication is that a girl child who was born in any family is not considered a member of that family she would eventually leave when married. She, therefore, lacks the prerequisites needed to be bequeathed any property from her father by birth. For this reason, a male child is given special preference. Women in the southeast have no right to inherit property, especially landed property, except on the magnanimity of their in-laws, and this also largely depends on her ability to give birth to a male child. Goals and objectives: Revealing cultural conjectures used in depriving women access to land and land use in southeastern Nigeria. Methodology: The paper uses mainly qualitative data from secondary sources complemented with informed opinion derived from semi-structured interviews with experts selected Nigerian southeast traditional institutions, women farmers, and the judicial system in the southeast. Theoretical insights are then drawn from the discussion. Results: The girl child born in any family is not considered a member of that family as she would eventually leave when married. She therefore lacks the prerequisites needed to be bequeathed of any property from her father by birth. For this reason, a male child is given special preference. Women in the southeast have no right to inherit property especially landed property except on the magnanimity of their in-laws, and this also largely depends on her ability to give birth to a male child. Women in the southeast need to have rights to inherit, own, acquire, and sell landed properties in Igbo communities. There is a need for gender-specific policies and services tailored towards women's access to land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amuru district in northern Uganda has had intense land rights violations over the past fourteen years. There have been large scale land investments for commercial agriculture and other activities with limited community engagement, In many families men have sold off family land to 'investors' without consultation of their wives. The wave of commercialization and individualization of land has negatively affected women's tenure security and livelihoods. Goals and Objectives This paper analyses the nexus between women's tenure security and livelihoods in Amuru District. Methodology The study used an explanatory sequential mixed methods design and a total of 159 women were reached in Amuru, Lamogi, Atiak and Pabbo subcounties of Amuru District. Results Women were facing intense land rights struggles as communal land tenure was losing its grip to a more individualised and commercialised tenure system. Women's livelihoods mainly attained through agriculture were under threat, however women have demonstrated agency and resilience which this paper will document. Women have used their income to buy land and solidify their land claims by documenting their land jointly or independently. Women have also used their farming groups to open up more land and their village savings group to finance their livelihood activities that besides agriculture include charcoal burning, trading and brewing alcohol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mainstreaming land use planning for tenure security in rural areas is a key issue to both scholars, academia and policymakers as well as governments in most developing countries. Land use planning as the land management interventions aims to allocate land to individuals and groups for improved tenure security. Goal and Objectives This paper focuses on examining the challenges and opportunities for land use planning on tenure security in rural Tanzania, taking a case study of three villages in Kilombero district, south-western of Tanzania. In particular, the study proposes the model for implementing land use planning in the future. Methodology Both secondary and primary data were gathered to explore the challenges and opportunities of the land use planning project in the case study areas. The secondary data refers to documents review1 sources of data. However, documents review whether published or not published were based on its relevance to provide critical analysis of land use planning process in most developing countries including Tanzania. Data from secondary sources "were analyzed to extract meaning and develop knowledge regarding" land use planning practices from an engagement perspective. Results The research findings indicate less benefits for the local people over the existing rural land use planning process. The main causes of drawbacks were ineffective participation of the local actors in the land use planning process, lack of transparency, effective communication and inadequate procedures to planning and decision-making processes. Taking these drawbacks into account, the paper suggests the conceptual framework for comprehensive land use planning that strive to strengthen actor's interaction in the land use decision-making process, searching informal means of communication and consultations as well as providing education to village residents on daily basis regarding land use planning process and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context and Background: The Government of the Republic of Zambia has among other things strengthened policy framework to ensure gender equality and women's empowerment so as to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5 by 2030. For example, the 2000 National Gender Policy (NGP) was revised in 2014 in order to, among other things, eliminate gender disparities in accessing state land. Through the 2014 NGP, the 30 percent threshold was increased to 50 percent of all land allocation for women. However, statistics still show that women’s access to state land is significantly lower than that of men. Goal and Objectives: This paper aims at investigating the factors that adversely affect women’s access to state land in Zambia which may in turn prevent achieving SDG 5 by 2030 and to recommend specific strategies to address these factors. Methodology: Primary data were obtained from five purposively selected institutions: Kalulushi Municipal Council, Chingola Municipal Council, Chililabombwe Municipal Council, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and Zambia Land Alliance (Kitwe office). The data collection method used with the key informants was in-depth face-to-face interviews. Management at each institution chose the key informant based on their expertise and experience on the subject. Primary data were also collected from ninetysix (96) women working in the formal and informal sectors. In particular, thirty-two (32) women from each case study area, were randomly selected, and the questionnaire method was used for data collection. Secondary data were obtained through desk research and documents collected from the government offices. Results: According to research findings, achieving gender equality and women's empowerment in the land sector remains a challenge in Zambia. There are various factors that adversely affect women’s access to state land which if not addressed may prevent achieving SDG 5 by 2030. These among others include weak implementation of laws and policies, information gap, complex state land acquisition procedures, and high land administration costs and plot fees. In view of the foregoing, the study recommends: ensuring effective implementation of policies and laws through inter alia adequate funding and human resource capacity, improving the sensitization programs of municipal councils on women's land rights; streamlining the procedure for accessing state land; and addressing poverty among women through reducing plot fees and keeping low the land administration costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The informal urbanization taking place in Sub Saharan African countries, Tanzania inclusive, had led into informal land subdivision in peri-urban areas to cater for residential plots and other land uses. As in other countries, in Tanzania, despite section 31(1) of the Urban Planning Act No.8 of 2007 restrict land owners to practice informal land subdivision in declared planning areas and enormous efforts to prepare planning schemes to guide and control spatial development, still informal land subdivision is prevailing. There is a gap between what the principal legislation direct and the actual implementation on the ground. Goal and Objectives: The overall objective of this paper is to examine the effects of informal land subdivision on spatial development and livelihood activities in peri-urban areas. Methodology: The study adopted a mixed research methodological approach, in which a case study research strategy was employed. Kichangani Subward located in the city of Dar es Salaam was selected as a specific case. Data were collected using household questionnaires, key informant interviews, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), field observations, photographic registration, mapping and document review. The data collected was retrieved, processed and analysed in line with the themes of the study. Data processing involved; editing, coding, classifications, tabulation and converting into simple graphics, amenable for interpretation. The findings were presented in text, tables, figures, quotes, sketches and maps. The quantitative data were analyzed using computer software such as Ms Excel and SPSS, and spatial data were analyzed using ARCGIS software. Results: The study has revealed that uncontrolled informal land subdivisions in peri-urban areas has led to lack of space for service provisions; uncontrolled land use changes; increased land use conflicts; diminishing of land for agriculture; poor accessibility and drainage systems. The land development in Kichangani Subward is unguided with no proper and systematic land subdivision leading to the aforementioned implications. The land owners subdivide and sell their land without conforming to the town planning regulations and professionalism. Land owners have the discretion of disposing their land in the way they want and according to the needs of the buyers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is critical to have land policies that facilitate access to and effective control of land and other natural resources in order to achieve inclusive growth and eradicate poverty. It is well known that discrimination in land rights occurs globally, both in formal and customary settings. The reason for this is that land rights are either strong or weak and are held by a variety of groups of people. It is the weaker variants of the inequalities that stifle tenure security, reduce land use, and threaten the food security of those who depend on the land to survive. Goal and objectives: This study looks at improved land reforms to the benefit of women´s access to land to foster and support social norm change in Sierra Leone. Methodology: A Cross-sectional research design was used for data collection. Quantitative data was analyzed descriptively; while, qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. A household's survey across the settlements for semi-structured questionnaire administration. In-depth interview of the various category of women and household heads through a purposive sampling technique. Key informant interviews (KII) consisted of local leaders, household heads, women leaders and community land owners. An unrefined search using keywords through JSTOR, Google Scholar, Research Gate and UNILAG database yielded search results of journals, book chapters and research reports on the subject. This was restricted to the utilization of accessible resources drawing on sources from different scholastic disciplines while performing an area audit. Results: The results of the study indicated that the principle that statutory reforms automatically take precedence over other laws in cases where there is a conflict between laws seems to remain on paper here. When it comes to land, informal and customary arrangements dominate and custom is seen to be powerful, authoritative and even unshakable. Even with the current gender-equitable legal framework, proper implementation of these laws is often lacking and enforcement institutions are weak. Therefore, it is recommended that increased efforts is needed to assist women in exercising their legal rights, such as addressing norms and customs regarding the manner in which women acquire land (such as through purchase or inheritance), the quality of the land they receive, and the manner in which land is transferred upon marriage or the death of a spouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The shortage of burial space in urban centres has become limited as most allocated spaces have been filled, with limited alternatives for burial. The review article has a perspective of assessing the impact of cross-cultural values and traditions of burial space with comparative dimensions of beliefs of burial versus cremation. Objectives: The study evaluated the differences in beliefs and the transition dynamics of traditional burial practices versus the non – availability of burial space. Methodology: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta – Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines search strategy was applied in the review. Databases that were searched included ProQuest (1764 articles reviewed and screened), EBSCO (120 articles reviewed and screened), PubMed (565 articles reviewed and screened), Taylor and Francis Online (150 articles reviewed and screened) and African Journals Online (25 articles reviewed and screened). A search strategy that combined the Boolean operator ‘AND’ and ‘OR’ and text words representing key concepts of our study: cross – cultural values, traditions on cremation and burial beliefs and practices was applied. A total number of 56 articles met the criteria for the discourse and made contributions to the review on this paper. Conclusions: This article has shown that there are several key issues at stake for the cremation practice in Zimbabwe. Chief among them being the traditional, religious beliefs and practices. Furthermore, the majority of the people in Zimbabwe still have the same belief system of the burial processes which shows limited acceptance of the cremation process despite circumstances that may exist such as lack of burial space, environmental pollution aspects and burial cost reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the use of spatial data in Tanzania, it underscores the reasons for lagging in the establishment of National Spatial Data Infrastructure. Using documentary analysis, strategically designed interviews, and questionnaires; data were collected from the spatial data user community in Tanzania. Goal and objectives: The main objective of the research was to examine the challenges hindering establishment of an NSDI in Tanzania. The specific objectives were to examine how geospatial data is managed in Tanzania and to identify factors that hinder collaboration in geospatial data collection, sharing and dissemination. Methodology: There are two basic approaches to research as found in (Kothari, 2004), these are; quantitative and qualitative approaches. However, a mixedmethod that combines quantitative and qualitative methods of collecting data which is also known as triangulation has been used in research and can be found in works of literature. The choice between the three types considers the research purpose and objectives to be achieved. Results and findings: Upon simple analysis of the data, the following were the findings: Firstly, it has been revealed that spatial data is not well managed, reused nor shared. Secondly, there are difficulties in the availability and accessibility of spatial data. Thirdly, lack of coordination and collaboration in spatial data collection, management, and sharing. Coordination and collaboration is a necessity for the country to fully and effectively utilize the huge spatial data scattered in various organizations, The country should use its national IT infrastructure, namely; the National Internet Data Centre and eGovernment Agency to create a common gateway for spatial data discovery and sharing. Finally, all stakeholders should be fully involved to establish NSDI for the benefit of the country's sustainable economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]