Impacts of Land Certification on Tenure Security, Investment, and Land Market Participation: Evidence from Ethiopia

Abstract

This brief summarizes the results of a gender impact evaluation study, entitled Impacts of land certification on tenure security, investment, and land market participation : evidence from Ethiopia, conducted between 2006 and 2011 in Ethiopia. The study observed the impact of land registration on tenure security, land-related investment, and rental market participation using 900 randomly selected households and 4000 plots cultivated by the households on the household and land plots level. Certification resulted in significant reduction of tenure insecurity and an increase in land related investment. The propensity to invest in water conservation increased between 20 and 30 percent. From panel estimates, the increased investment appears to be sustained over the long-term. The propensity to rent land increases by 9 to 13 percent. The titling had significant positive impacts on the rate at which female headed households rented their land. Funding for the study derived from the Gender Action Plan, Global Land Tools Network, and Norwegian Environmentally and Socially Sustainable Development (ESSD) Trust Fund.