Feed the Future Tanzania Land Tenure Assistance (LTA) FY’21 Q1 Quarterly Report

The program's primary objective is to support the Government of Tanzania in implementing the Village Land Act of 1999, which provides a framework for village land registration and management. During the first quarter of FY'21, LTA adopted a practical strategy to expedite its activities, which were slowed down by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program streamlined its sequencing of activities, initiated field work in seven villages in the Iringa District, and deployed more field teams to speed up the execution of village land use planning (VLUP) and certificates of customary right of occupancy (CCRO) delivery. LTA received positive results from its contribution in improving the regulatory framework for village land registration. A notable achievement was the adoption and gazetting of the Village Land (Amendment) Regulation, which addresses regulatory gaps that existed in relation to village land transactions. LTA played a prominent role in conceptualizing, developing, and lobbying for the adoption and issuance of the regulation. The program assisted the District Surveyor in preparing a survey plan for villages in which boundary rectification was already completed. Consequently, the District Surveyor submitted survey plans for 18 villages to the Regional Land Surveyor for review and approval. LTA also facilitated the resolution of denied claims of land ownership for the Isangala and Haporoto Villages as part of the process of completing village boundary verification. With respect to VLUP, LTA focused on reviewing VLUP narrative reports and assisting in VLUP preparation. The program completed the review of 43 VLUPs prepared in 2017 and 2018 and 13 VLUPs prepared in 2020. Changes were made to sections of the narrative reports, and additional maps were incorporated into the reports. LTA also started and completed the process of preparing VLUPs for four villages in the Iringa District, following the participatory rural appraisal (PRA) approach. During the reporting period, LTA showed considerable progress with respect to demarcation and adjudication in seven villages in the Iringa District. The program completed the process of demarcation and adjudication in Lumuli and Kipera, assisted in demarcating 1,582 and 1,683 parcels respectively, and completed the public display for the results of demarcation and adjudication for Mangalai, Kipera, and Lumuli. LTA assisted in printing and registering a total of 1,769 CCROs in Mangalali and organized CCRO issuance ceremonies in five villages, attended by various stakeholders including District Land Office staff, village leaders, village residents, and LTA staff. A total of 480, 574, 783, 182, and 186 CCROs were delivered to the Isangala, Kibena, Haporoto, Ibangamoyo, and Mangalali village land registries respectively. The program also organized a CCRO issuance ceremony at Ikonongo hamlet, a pastoralist area in the Itunundu Village. The event was attended by various stakeholders, and the CCROs were delivered to the village land registry. LTA's efforts in supporting the Government of Tanzania in implementing the Village Land Act of 1999 have contributed to improving land tenure security for rural communities in Tanzania. In the Iringa District, LTA completed the process of demarcation and adjudication in Lumuli and Kipera, and assisted in demarcating 1,582 and 1,683 parcels respectively. The public display for the results of demarcation and adjudication for Mangalai, Kipera, and Lumuli was also completed. LTA conducted final editing of textual and spatial data attributes of parcels for preparation of printing and registration of CCROs for the Mangalali village. The final data editing for Kipera and Lumuli will be done in the next reporting period. LTA also assisted in printing and registering a total of 1,769 CCROs in Mangalali, and organized CCRO issuance ceremonies in five villages, attended by various stakeholders. A total of 480, 574, 783, 182, and 186 CCROs were delivered to the Isangala, Kibena, Haporoto, Ibangamoyo, and Mangalali village land registries respectively. LTA's efforts in supporting the Government of Tanzania in implementing the Village Land Act of 1999 have contributed to improving land tenure security for rural communities in Tanzania. The program's progress in demarcation and adjudication, VLUP, and CCRO delivery has been significant, and its efforts will continue to support the Government of Tanzania in achieving its land tenure security goals.