Land management and sustainable use of land resources policy: The case of Burkina Faso

The aim of this study is to examine the relations between land resources ownership and land management; the duties/mandates of organizations in land management; the fundamental tools of land management and their applications and policies for sustainable use of land resources both in general and in the case of Burkina Faso. Secondary data and data collected through focus groups and control charts were used together in the study. The outlines of land management were addressed based on an analysis of the collected data and then, the reasons for changes in use of total lands, rural lands, and urban lands were examined and land management decisions and the possibilities of success were examined taking into account land problems and rapid population. The study results show that land assets are predominantly affected by population growth, which is one of the social variables; economic variables such as agricultural exports; and spatial variables such as forest lands and land assets allocated for the use of other sectors, and that the impact of economic characteristics such as agricultural added value is insignificant. According to the model results, agricultural land assets increase in line with population growth and this result strengthens the assessment that agricultural activities are carried out with extensive and low technologies. On the other hand, the lack and weak confidence level of the data used in the mathematical model have also led to a limited level of study. Through collection of comprehensive data particularly on the bio-physical factors, land use with non-agricultural purposes, and socio-economic indicators, it will be possible to conduct a rational analysis of land use change at regional and national levels and assess the sustainability of the land management policies. Since the implementation of the Agrarian and Land Reform in 1984, land development policies have always been in Burkina Faso's development agenda. However, the success level of the related public institutions in identification and implementation of a sustainable management model and policy tools to improve the land management, access to land resources, land development, creation of a land market and infrastructure investments has remained limited. Significant legislative arrangements, focused on land ownership and use as well as rural and urban development, have been enacted and several organizations have started activities at the central, regional, and local levels in the country. Nevertheless, many problems are encountered in the implementation of the established legal and institutional arrangements; planning activities envisaged by legal regulations are not completed to a wide extent while the conducted works are controversial in terms of fairness. In the country, only 0.77% of the total land assets (274.200 km2) are registered in the title deed registry. Due to this weakness of the land registry system and to the failure in solving land ownership issues, conflicts related to land use and ownership are increasing and becoming more violent. Till now, the countrywide cadastral works have not been completed yet; cadastre and land registry offices are not carried out effectively. In the institutional structure, there are 9 different ministries and numerous organizations under them with separate duties and/or authorities in land management; human resources and coordination among organizations are very insufficient in all the public institutions; significant conflicts of duties and/or responsibilities are encountered among these organizations, and the policies defined at the national level are not sufficiently implemented. It should be underlined that implementation countrywide of cadastral and land registry offices; improvement of human and financial resources and equipment and also emphasizing studies in the field of analysis and continuous monitoring and evaluation of land use both in Burkina Faso and other African countries will accelerate economic development as well as the hunger and poverty alleviation.