Land reform in Madagascar: Rationales, achievement and institutional changes

Burnod Perrine, Rakotomalala Heriniaina, Bouquet Emmanuelle. 2024. Land reform in Madagascar: Rationales, achievement and institutional changes. In : Securing land tenure and access for climate action. World Bank Group. s.l. : s.n., 1-16. World Bank Land Conference, Washington, États-Unis, 20 Mai 2024/25 Mai 2024.

Résumé : The Malagasy reform on going since 2005 belongs to a new generation of land reforms in Africa. Two major innovations have inter alia emerged: the creation of land offices at commune level (decentralisation of land management) and land certification. This overview communication based on collective research during more than 10 years considers the three following questions: - How is this reform innovative and what has it achieved in the 15 years since its inception? - Does certification is really massive and inclusive or the preserve of the elites, and what are the effects at the household level? - And have land tenure governance and institutions in Madagascar really changed? The first section reviews the main land reform institutional innovations. The second part analyses the reform achievement. At national level, the reform was deployed, in fits and starts, as international funding became available, and only in one third of the municipalities. Despite this, at local level, the communes keep their land tenure offices functional. In this context, where certification is neither compulsory nor systematic, the third part points out that the demand for certificates is not massive. However, the certification dynamic is progressing year on year, and appears to be increasingly inclusive. The least educated and poorest households have access, and women are particularly proactive. However, on a less positive note, women's rights to plots belonging to the couple do not appear on most of the land certificates when the law allows it. The fourth part analyses the power relations between land governance actors. It highlights how the land administration is reluctant in decentralizing power, and how it imposes technical constraints to re-assert its authority. The fifth part presents guidelines for public policies to improve the certification process, strengthen the decentralization of land management, and promote social and political ownership of the reform.

Mots-clés libres : Land reform, Certification, Tenure security, Madagascar

Auteurs et affiliations

• Burnod Perrine, CIRAD-ES-UMR TETIS (MDG)
• Rakotomalala Heriniaina, FAO (MDG)
• Bouquet Emmanuelle, CIRAD-ES-UMR MOISA (FRA)

Source : Cirad-Agritrop (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/611622/)

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