Experiences and Development Impacts of Securing Land Rights at Scale in Developing Countries: Case Studies of China and Vietnam

Frank F K Byamugisha

doi:10.3390/land10020176

Abstract

This paper reviews experiences and development impacts of a selected number of developing countries in Asia and Africa that have used emerging land registration approaches to rapidly secure land rights at scale. Rapid and scalable registration is essential to eliminate a major backlog of the world’s unregistered land, which stands at about 70 percent. The objective of the review, based on secondary data, is to draw lessons that can help accelerate land registration across many countries. While the focus is on China and Vietnam, the findings are buttressed by those from previous reviews in Ethiopia and Rwanda. The registration approaches used in these four countries were found to be cost-reducing, fast, inclusive and scalable enough to secure land rights for all within one generation. They also had significant positive impacts on land tenure security and investment. In addition, they indirectly along with other economic reforms contributed to rapid economic growth and a reduction in extreme poverty. The experience from these Asian and African countries offers important lessons including the need for strong political commitment and to develop flexible legal and spatial frameworks that fit the purpose of land registration, instead of the rigid technical standards set by land professionals.

Highlights

Paper Prepared for the World Development Report, No.31363; World Bank: Washington, DC, USA, 2005; Available online: http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/223631468777611336/pdf/313630TH0land111WDR20050bkgd0paper1.pdf.Enemark, S.; Bell, K.C.; Lemmen, C.; McLaren, R
This provided opportunities to try out pragmatic approaches to land registration with principles similar to those of fit-for-purpose land administration [9]
In Africa, where Ethiopia and Rwanda have played a lead role in securing land rights at scale, the two countries have had flexible legal frameworks to accommodate successful registration approaches and efficient operation of land registration systems [8,11,12,61,62,63,64,65,66]

Summary

Introduction

Paper Prepared for the World Development Report, No.31363; World Bank: Washington, DC, USA, 2005; Available online: http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/223631468777611336/pdf/313630TH0land111WDR20050bkgd0paper1.pdf (accessed on 30 October 2020).Enemark, S.; Bell, K.C.; Lemmen, C.; McLaren, R. Paper Prepared for the World Development Report, No. 31363; World Bank: Washington, DC, USA, 2005; Available online: http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/2236314687. S.; Bell, K.C.; Lemmen, C.; McLaren, R. Fit.-For.-Purpose Land Administration; Joint FIG/World Bank Publication, FIG. Publications No 60; FIG Office: Copenhagen, Denmark, 2014; Available online: https://www.fig.net/resources/publications/. Fit.-For.-Purpose Land Administration: Guiding Principles for Country Implementation; GLTN/UN Habitat: Nairobi, Kenya, 2016. Global Land Tool Network (GLTN), Phase 2: End of Phase Evaluation; Evaluation Report 2/2018; GLTN/UN Habitat: Nairobi, Kenya, 2018

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