Upholding customary land rights through formalization? evidence from Tanzania‘s program of land reform

Abstract

Many nations in the "global south" have overhauled their land policies and laws in recent decades, often attempting to simultaneously uphold customary land tenure, and to bring informal land relationships into a formal, standardized land administration system. Both are now seen as pivotal for strengthening security of tenure for land users. The program to advance formal land administration systems and to secure customary land tenure in Tanzania stands out as a case where implementation of this "hybrid" approach to land reform is well under way. Through the analysis of empirical research collected at the sites of implementation, this paper considers the impact of land administration reform currently taking place in village lands, and explores the interplay between formal systems and customary land tenure. Is customary tenure being incorporated into the statutory system, and are diverse forms of customary tenure being accommodated? How are customary land users being impacted?