In Quest of Customary Tenure Security: Opportunities and Challenges of Land Use Planning in Rural Tanzania.

Mainstreaming land use planning for tenure security in rural areas is a key issue to both scholars, academia and policymakers as well as governments in most developing countries. Land use planning as the land management interventions aims to allocate land to individuals and groups for improved tenure security. Goal and Objectives This paper focuses on examining the challenges and opportunities for land use planning on tenure security in rural Tanzania, taking a case study of three villages in Kilombero district, south-western of Tanzania. In particular, the study proposes the model for implementing land use planning in the future. Methodology Both secondary and primary data were gathered to explore the challenges and opportunities of the land use planning project in the case study areas. The secondary data refers to documents review1 sources of data. However, documents review whether published or not published were based on its relevance to provide critical analysis of land use planning process in most developing countries including Tanzania. Data from secondary sources "were analyzed to extract meaning and develop knowledge regarding" land use planning practices from an engagement perspective. Results The research findings indicate less benefits for the local people over the existing rural land use planning process. The main causes of drawbacks were ineffective participation of the local actors in the land use planning process, lack of transparency, effective communication and inadequate procedures to planning and decision-making processes. Taking these drawbacks into account, the paper suggests the conceptual framework for comprehensive land use planning that strive to strengthen actor's interaction in the land use decision-making process, searching informal means of communication and consultations as well as providing education to village residents on daily basis regarding land use planning process and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]