LAND REFORM DEV

closed

The project will contribute to the intensification of rainfed agriculture, the expansion of agricultural exports, the alleviation of poverty, and improved land use. It will pursue these aims by strengthening the capability of the Agricultural Land Reform Office (ALRO) to implement a series of land reform and development projects on encroached public lands and by demonstrating the viability of a land reform and infrastructure development model in an initial set of nine land reform areas (LRAs) of 192,000 ha affecting some 35,000 low-income families. Furthermore, it will promote appropriate land use by releasing the LRAs from forest reserve status through degazettement and by promoting soil conservation on sloping land. Finally, it will facilitate the absorption of the LRAs into the provincial administrative framework. The major risk associated with implementation of the project concerns the fact that ALRO has not yet had extensive experience in implementing land distribution measures and coordinating the activities of other agencies involved in LRAs. The extensive use of technical assistance and the adoption of a subproject approach are meant to minimize this risk.