In the small amount of traveling I’ve done in African country-side, what stands out for me is the under-utilization of land - except in Rwanda where population density is high, water is abundant and soil is fertile. One problem outside Rwanda may of course be water shortage. But a new online map called LandMark offers a lens on land ownership which may help explain what’s going on. According to WRI, a steering group member for this project:
“LandMark shows that 78.9 percent of Africa’s land mass is held by Indigenous Peoples and communities under customary tenure. About 21 percent is formally recognized, while the remaining 57.9 percent is not.”
In this striking map of Australia (and Indonesia) it looks like most of the land area is indigenous land or pending petition by indigenous people. WRI also notes that solving indigenous land claims in Indonesia could help to reduce the fires currently causing atmospheric havoc in South East Asia (see post of October 20). (When land rights are clear and protected by courts there is more incentive for people to look after it.)
LandMark website (dark brown means settled rights, lighter colors mean pending)