Disentangling Rural Land Certification Processes and Practices In Ethiopia: The Case of Bahir Dar Sub-Urban District, Amhara Regional State

Abstract

The study examines the rural land certification practice of Environmental Protection Land Administration and Use Authority and the land users’ tenure security in Amhara region, Ethiopia. The land certification process has been involved in four main regions of the country since 1998 with aims to provide land tenure security. The aim of this study was to provide a full picture of the current perspective of certified land holders by comparing with intended certification objectives for tenure security. This paper composed of feed backs form institution and land user who are using land certification. Case study methods used to investigate the two Keble land certification practice in Bahir Dar sub-urban district. The ‘critical perspective’ of land tenure security is preferred rather than the ‘conventional view’ of land titling. This study concluded the assumption that land titling is seen and designed as a linear process which can be controlled and managed by the state and specific set of institutions is not realized in the villages. There is a critical need to look for land titling approaches beyond the linear models and which take on board the experiences of land holders with both the ‘customary’ land arrangements and those that related to the land titling process.

Keywords:  Land titling, public Information, Enforcement, Tenure Insecurity