Land access and titling in NicaraguaNew publication in Development and Change by Rikke BroegaardThere is little attention given to the specific ways in which inequality and abuses of public office mediate or even negate the expected effect of land titles, despite the importance that the international donor community places on formal land titles as part of the process to secure property rights, improve the functioning of the land market and ensure pro-poor development. Development and Change recently published an article by Rikke Broegaard that is based on empirical data from Nicaragua. The article argues that the state system of issuing formal titles is costly and does not provide a level playing field. In addition to land titles, there are different actions that people use to secure property rights, drawing on plural sources of recognition of land rights. Furthermore, the study shows that even when formal titles are obtained, subsequent land transactions are often not followed up with titling and inscription in the name of the new owner, especially not among the poorest landowners. This has implications for future land titling policies. The article is part of a special issue on property and authority, edited by Thomas Sikor and Christian Lund, with contributions from Sara Berry, Nancy Peluso, Monique Nuijten and Jesse Ribot, among others. Further reading: Broegaard, R. (2009): Land access and Titling in Nicaragua. Development and Change, 40(1):149-169. Links: Rikke Broegaard Rikke Broegaard's PhD project: Poor farmers' struggle for land, and the implications for agricultural development – how land claims are made, secured and lost in Nicaraguan villages (pdf., 210 KH) Research unit on Natural resources and poverty |
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