U.S. Launches New Land Governance Project in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa November 12/2019 The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) today launched a five-year 11 million USD land governance activity project in Ethiopia .

The new project aimed at facilitating policy reforms to strengthen land administration, promote structural reform for rural and urban land tenure and strengthen institutional capabilities to improve land administration and land use planning.

Furthermore, the project will work in partnership with all regional states in their effort to harmonize land administration laws with the new federal rural land administration proclamation and implementing regulations.

During the launching ceremony, USAID Mission Director, Sean Jones said the USAID is key partner to Ethiopia in advancing land governance activities that goes back to 2004, when it first undertook a scoping study on land administration.

Since that time, he said “We have worked closely with the Government of Ethiopia in implementing several projects aimed at improving land governance and land tenure; and together, we have achieved some remarkable results.”

He noted that “under this new activity, we will continue working together to identify ways to restructure and realign agencies, and reinvigorate institutions involved in land governance to maximize their efficiency.”

The project will also help streamline decision-making processes, enhance transparency and accountability, and ultimately strengthen the capacity to administer land more effectively, the Director added.

Moreover, the Land Governance Activity will focus on policy and management efforts to address emerging land-related challenges, including rapid urbanization and degradation of soil and arable land.

“Improving planning, policy and land management is critical to helping Ethiopian farmers and families reap the fruits of their labor more fully; and have better opportunities for themselves and their children to fulfill the bright future they deserve,” according him.

State Minister of Urban Development and Construction, Tazer Gebre-Egziabher said the project would contribute to resolve the challenges of land administration in rural and urban.

He appreciated the efforts of USAID it continually supporting the government of Ethiopia in land policy and governance activities.

Land Administration and Land Use Director at the Ministry of Agriculture, Tigistu Gebremeskel, said over the past five years the federal and regional states have significant progress in improving rural land administration services.

Currently, over 14 million pastoralists have demarked and registered, which the effort will continue under this project, he stated.

USAID Ethiopia mission’s intervention started in 2004 with the assessment of Ethiopia’s land policy and administration, it was learned.