About 70% of Tanzanian land falls under village land owned and managed by local communities. Due to this, the Tanzanian Land Act allows for ownership and management of land by communities through local governing bodies. To secure Land Rights for these communities therefore means that a village must have a Village Land Certificate which defines the official boundaries of each village and to get that, conflict resolution must be carried out for neighbouring villages to amicably agree on the boundaries of their respective villages. After that, Communities are supported to undertake a village Land Use Plan guided by the National Land Use Planning guidelines. Having done that, communities are then supported to secure through a communal certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy (CCRO) a communal title to their land in which they continue to practice their traditional practices that are friendly and help conserve the environment. These communal CCROs are connected to each other to support mobility of livestock and wildlife from one area to another which helps these animals access crucial shared resources such as water points and salt licks
In order to enable the success of these building blocks participation is essential. We believe that empowerment is crucial for equitable engagement and representation for effective resource management. Conflict resolution is also a key piece of the process We meditate conflicts in order to gain stronger participation and for collective action in the sustainable management of community connected land.
SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT—Significant effort has been invested in supporting communities to secure formal rights over land, but tenure security alone does not mean that those lands are productive and healthy, particularly given the growing pressures created by human population growth, livestock impacts, land-use pressures, and climate change. Does work need to be done to improve the condition and sustainably manage rangelands and natural resources once they have been secured? And if so, what should UCRT’s role be in this? Building on the development of land-use plans and bylaws, UCRT expanded its approach by:
• Ensuring communities protect connectivity between migratory livestock routes;
• Integrating scientific knowledge with customary management approaches to improve pasture; and
• Mainstreaming information related to climate change impacts and population growth.