Land acquisition and conservation

Poverty Eradication, Conservation and drivers for Land Acquisition              

 Michael Otieno Okello B.A Land Economics (UoN), MSc. Sustainable Urban Development, Department of Geography, University of Nairobi (UoN) Kenya.

 The continent of Africa is undergoing many transitions. In the recent past, transitions have featured on sustainability, smart development, and green economy to meet Sustainable Post 2015 Development goals. Key areas include food and agriculture, energy and minerals, water and sanitation as well as transport.

One of the major changes in Africa is the promotion of cleaner energy and renewable power generation: wind, solar PV, micro-Hydro and Biofuels. While new discoveries of oil rich petroleum Basins in Africa are being made, more opportunities for biofuels and biomass generation are coming up. The clamor for self-reliance in energy generation is rife in Botswana, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, South Africa Mozambique and south Sudan. The countries may soon reduce on oil importing and instead complement fossil fuel use with renewable generations. One major aspect the discoveries is of oil and gas in eastern Africa region: Ugandan Albertine Graben region, Kenyan Turkana and Kerio valley, Wajir and Lamu, as well as Tanzanian offshores at the Indian coastline .

The discovery of oil is a key driver to land acquisition. The land acquisitions features and poses a challenge to food security, destruction of biodiversity, disruption of human activities and loss of  livelihood and resistance to reorganizations. It happens that such discoveries are made in rich agricultural lands (e.g. in Uganda Albertine region, Kenyan Kerio valley) or range lands and mainly pastoral-nomadic ecosystems where economic livelihoods inhabitants are affected (Lamu , Wajir, Turkana) or in forested lands as in Nigeria, Ecuador among others (ULA, 2011; Ibaba, 2001)

The concepts of land grabbing features in two ways; one where land is compulsorily acquired for energy developments without full recognition of owner rights, compensation and resettlement of victims; and two where green grabbing exposes the original inhabitants to landlessness and hence loss of normal livelihood based on land resources. The two cases both affect human wellbeing as well as the natural ecosystem/biodiversity. The role of governments in supporting land dealings with the international community though initially conceived to focus on increasing land use, employments and economic growth end up benefiting foreign investors more than but few locals according to Pearce., F (2012) quoted in (Nelson, 2012). This view is shared by Bebbington (1999) quoted in Uganda Land Alliance 2011 in analyzing peasant viability, rural livelihood and poverty with the objective of maximizing benefits. In the writers’ opinion, minimum needs should be addressed including: diverse resources that rural people draw in building livelihood, the way in which people are able to access, defend and sustain the assets. The question is whether oil and gas investment will yield gains or be source of resource curse to local communities and the general citizenry as witnessed in certain parts of Uganda (Kuteesa, 2014;  ULA, 2011).

Further, the discoveries of oil and gas and potential degradation of land through mining, drilling activities may result to loss of species and disruption of normal niches of flora, fauna as well as anthropogenic activities. The governments and all stakeholders in the minerals and energy industry need to set workable and enforceable policy guidelines:-

To foster sustainability of livelihoods through robust resettlement programmes that will ensure equity, fairness, satisfactory compensation and sustain cultural values that promote ecosystem stewardship. This is key where compulsory acquisitions are involved.

Rigorous awareness creation on good land use, need for protection of flora and fauna. The understanding of the stringent stand against incision and destruction of natural wild habitats should be encouraged through sensitization using simple techniques in accessible avenues.

Participatory and inclusive decision making processes regarding land ownership, acquisition and use for either energy development or green agendas should be emphasized. Stakeholders especially the locals should have say on historical perspectives of challenges, best values and incidences that affect natural /pristine ecosystems and their livelihood where land use is concerned; order to formulate holistic and generally supported ideas.

Local leaderships should be empowered with requisite legislative mechanisms and institutional channels of communication regarding implementation of REDD+ ideas.

Alternative livelihood opportunities should be pursued beyond compensation and resettlement plans. Where large tracts of land are either acquired for power generation or conservation, sustainable options should be given so as not to compromise environmental and economic wellbeing. For instance, encouraging mixed cropping of biofuel crops with food crop, using solar and wind in place of large biofuel farms for renewables while allowing user rights, controlling pastoralist access to graze but protect wildlife and flora, and offering payments for ecosystem services in terms of interests or waivers to farmers and landowners.

Payment for ecosystem transactions should also involve credits for good land use and maintenance of forest through REDD+ initiatives of farmers in a more broad way could contribute to overall sustainable production and use of ecosystem.

References

Ibaba, S. (2001). Understanding the Niger Delta Crisis. Port Harcourt: Jiral Publication Company.

Kuteesa, A. (2014, February 25). Local communities and oil Discoveries: A study in Uganda’s Albertine Graben Region. Brookings: Africa in focus.

Nelson, F. (2012). Review of Pearce’s The Land Grabbers: The New Fight over Who Owns the Earth. Becon Press.

ULA. (2011). Land Grabbing and its effects on the communities in oil rich Albertine Region of Uganda;Case study of Hoima, Buliisa and Amuru.  IS Academy.

Vasquez. (2013, November 02). Kenya at a Crossroads: Hopes and Fears Concerning the Development of Oil and Gas Reserves. Graduate Institute of Geneva-International Development Policy series(5.2, connection on 23 May 2014. URL : http://poldev.revues.org/1646).