PASTORAL LAND TENURE AT THE MARGINS OF INTENSIVE AND EXTENSIVE LAND USE: BASELINE SURVEY RESULTS FROM A USAID CUSTOMARY LAND RIGHTS RECOGNITION PROJECT IN SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

This study analyzes baseline data from an impact evaluation of USAID/Ethiopia’s Land Administration to Nurture Development (LAND) project, which is being implemented in Ethiopia’s Oromia Region in the Guji and Borana pastoral zones. The LAND Project aims to protect land and resource rights of pastoral communities and strengthen land governance institutions in customary grazing units (dheeda). This study presents a series of baseline indicators on land rights, land use, environmental quality, incomes, investments, conflict and conflict resolution, and external transfers of food aid and other assistance. The findings indicate that both Guji and Borana zones are undergoing important transitions, including increases in cultivation, settlements, bush encroachment, drought incidence, communal and individual rangeland enclosures (kalo), and NGO involvement. At the same time, per capita livestock holdings have declined relative to the recent past and that the role of customary institutions and conflict resolution mechanisms have diminished, especially relative to the increased prominence of government administration and institutions. Little outside private investment in land is evident in the study area, though concerns about outside investors and possible impacts on lands and livelihoods were expressed. These findings set the context into which planned interventions will be implemented and evaluated by future research.