The LAND project was a five year program supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Its primary goal was to strengthen the resilience of Rwandan citizens, communities and institutions, as well as their ability to adapt to land-related economic, environmental and social changes.
Resilience is defined as “the ability to withstand or recover from difficult conditions.” It also comprises the ability of human and ecological systems to recover from shocks or difficult changes, and to transform to a better condition by responding flexibly and creatively to stress factors. In Rwanda, land tends to be one of the primary assets citizens rely on to buffer against difficult conditions and rapid change.
Land pressures in Rwanda were extremely high and land-related conflicts comprise 70-90% of disputes. The LAND Project worked to improve the effectiveness of land dispute resolution, which is a critical component of building resilience.
Objectives
- Increase capacity of local Rwandan institutions to generate high quality, evidence-based research on land-related issues that can be used by the Government, civil society organizations, and Rwandan citizens.
- Increase understanding of land laws, policies, regulations, and legal judgments on land-related issues by GOR officials, local civil society organizations, research institutes and citizens.