Local land and water governance: Land-use agreements in MauritaniaSteven JonckheereKnowledge Management OfficerLand and Water Days, FAO, Rome, 10 November 2015

Context

• Arable land is one of the country’s main resources, but also a major source of contention

• Vast majority of the population lives according to a common system of customary land law that is not recognized by the state

• Tenure arrangements within the traditional system have always been inclusive

• These arrangements, however, have not been formalized, making the situation more precarious-even for powerful landowners

• In the past, vulnerable social groups known as "the landless” were subject to restrictive practices and remain economically and socially vulnerable with limited and insecure access to land

Land-use agreements

• «Ententes foncières» or land distribution agreements between landowners and the landless

• Introduced in IFAD-supported projects as pre-condition for water infrastructure

• Three principles: (i) justice; (ii) solidarity; (iii) efficiency• Three steps: (i) land tenure assessment; (ii) negotiations; (iii)

written agreement (endorsed by local authorities, prefect, land owners and village chief)

• Creation of community management structures to ensure efficient management of land agreements and to guarantee all stakeholders’ interests

Results

• Maghama I & II: - 28 villages - 12,000 hectares- Secured access to land for

those who were landless• Up-scaling

- PASK II: pre-condition for all water infrastructure development

- Conflict management between pastoralists and farmers- Management of the El Atef natural reserve

Conclusions

• Importance of working through local communities and the customary laws governing community assets

• The signing of the agreement is a unique demonstration of the ties of solidarity (social capital) existing in the project area and fosters inclusion

• Negotiated agreements rather than top-down solutions• Look for win-win solutions • Policy constraints for scaling up