Roundup: Sub-Saharan Africa urged to strengthen land management policies

Environmental experts have called on governments in the sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen land management policies in order to conserve biodiversity and enhance socio-economic growth.

They made the call on Tuesday during the closure of the 10th meeting of ministers of natural resources from East and Southern Africa countries in Kigali, Capital of Rwanda.

Rwanda hosted the forum from November 21 to 22 that focused exploring ways of using technology in land management to promote economies, protect environment and effectively manage land in the region.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Hussein Farah, former director general of the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), said that adopting and strengthening policies that promote the sustainable land resources management in sub-Saharan Africa will play a crucial role towards conserving biodiversity and enhance socio-economic growth.

"Proper land management policies will be important for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and climate change protocols," he added.

Farah noted that an efficient delivery of land resources including the acquisition, allocation, relocation of existing populations and development of the physical infrastructure are necessary for faster social and economic growth of poorest regions in sub-Saharan Africa.

At the meeting, Dr. Emmanuel Nkurunziza from Rwanda was appointed as the director general of RCMRD replacing Farah who has been at the helm of the regional organization for the last eight years.

The two-day ministerial conference provided a platform for engagement among government officials in the Eastern and Southern African region involved in land administration and spatial planning on challenges and opportunities in land, urban and territorial planning.

According to Nkurunziza, proper land management policies will continue to be a prerequisite for Africa's sustainable development because land related conflicts are a challenge to social and economic growth of the continent.

"Sustainable land management requires strong backing from the government because this would help in land-related decision-making at the community and national level. Governments could help limit illegal activities on land and boost the capacity of community leaders to manage conflicts," he explained.

The conference was preceded by the 50th meeting of the RCMRD Governing Council and its committees.

By 2009, nearly 40 percent of the Africa's population lived in urban areas with the figure projected to increase to about 60 percent by 2050, according to the World Bank.

Land in Sub-Saharan Africa has been subject to conflict, conquest, expropriation and exploitation, thus resulting in the many discrepancies that exist today.

RCMRD was established in 1975, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya with 20 member states from Eastern Africa including Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Ethiopia and Kenya. Endit