Securing land rights and migratory routes in the Ruvu River Basin of Northern Tanzania through communal legal certificates

The significance of a Certificate of Customary Right of Occupancy (CCRO) as a legal tool for strengthening collective tenure over rangelands is that it provides greater security and permanence to communally-held lands, than do other mechanisms conventionally used such as Participatory Land Use Plans. The CCRO, once issued, cannot be administratively changed by the Village Council. In particular, the Village Council, or any other external authority, cannot subdivide and allocate individual parcels within the area delimited in the CCRO. This provides much greater security for communal lands from both internal village governance processes (e.g. allocation of individual parcels of land by local elites) and external land allocations.

UCRT believes it is essential to strengthen pastoralist communities through participatory land use, securing access to resources, raising awareness on land rights, and identifying possible alternatives and options to support their livelihoods. Additionally, strengthening community-led efforts across village and district borders can facilitate greater mobility and rangeland connectivity, a key strategy for pastoralists and conservationists alike. UCRT would facilitate the acquisition of three communal CCROs along Ruvu River to prevent further intrusion by migrant farmers at the source of the conflict. Upon their acquisition, we would facilitate the establishment of communal grazing areas by local governance institutions in target villages for the benefit of migrating wildlife and livestock.