En 
FR 
OF THE LAND CERTIFICATION COMPONENT OF THE PRRPB PROGRAM: TECHNOLOGY AT THE SERVICE OF LAND RIGHTS
On Thursday March 23, 2023, the Burundi Landscape Restoration and Resilience Project (PRRPB) organized a workshop to present the achievements of the "Land Certification" sub-component activities implemented on 26 localities or « collines » (12 in Buhinyuza, 10 in Isare and 4 in Matongo) of the 31 hills making up the project's intervention zone. These activities were carried out with the technical support of Groupement IGNFI-GEOFIT-LADEC, a consortium of three companies, one Burundian (LADEC) and two French (IGNFI and GEOFIT). The consortium has now successfully completed its mission to secure land tenure in the above-mentioned communes.
[What did this project involve?]
The World Bank supports the Government of Burundi through the Burundi Landscape Restoration and Resilience Project (PRRPB).
Supported by Burundi's Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, land certification is a sub-component of the PRRPB which aims to clarify, formalize and secure land rights, as well as support the resolution of land conflicts in the project's communes and local areas.
From left to right: Ms Nina Nicole NDAYIRAGIJE representing the World Bank in Burundi, Ms Odette KAYITESI, National Coordinator of the PRRPB, Mr Emmanuel NIYUNGEKO, Director General of Planning at the Ministry of the Environment, Agriculture and Livestock and Ms Aude Lamendour (IGNFI-GEOFIT).
Our activities focused on 3 main areas:
1 - Strengthening decentralized land management, in particular by supporting the creation and operationalization of three commune land services, Isare in Bujumbura Province, Buhinyuza in Muyinga Province and Matongo in Kayanza Province, in the establishment and operationalization of their « Services Fonciers Communaux » (SFC).
2 - Technical and logistical support in carrying out Grouped Recognition Operations in 26 local areas of these three communes, as well as in receiving and processing isolated applications for land certificates in the other 50 localities covered by the project.
3 - Taking into account cross-cutting issues such as access to land and securing land rights for women and vulnerable groups, including the Batwa.
In Burundi, more than 70% of cases brought before the courts are land-related.
The aim of this component is therefore to establish a clear, systematic and reliable vision of the boundaries of private property and the national domain, to identify and know the owners, and to identify and attempt to resolve land-related conflicts.
[What concrete results?]
The project's results are very tangible. More than 105,000 public and contradictory socio-fonciary surveys (known as "reconnaissance collinaires") have been carried out, and 103,525 land certificates produced. In addition, a land information system has been set up, enabling automated production of land documentation for the benefit of the local population and the communes.
These good results are the fruit of a high level of acceptance of the project, on the one hand, by the commune managers and technical staff who worked in the field under sometimes, difficult conditions (rain, accessibility problems, etc.) and whom we had to train. On the other hand, these results stem from the massive support of the local population, who understood the social and economic merits of the project thanks to the awareness-raising actions carried out throughout the project by the IGNFI- GEOFIT-LADEC consortium and other stakeholders at various levels.
[GEOFIT developed the production tools. What are the constraints? What functionalities?]
Jean-Noël AVRAIN - GEOFIT Project Manager
There were many constraints. The aim was to obtain a tool that could simultaneously manage land procedures, forms, bundles of documents, georeferenced objects, photos and signatures, while operating without any connection. We therefore developed a massive production tool, fully manageable, configurable and 100% connected to meet the needs of the project.
[What are you proud of ?]
Jean-Noël AVRAIN - GEOFIT Project Manager
Once users had been trained, the tool provided the link between the field, local offices and workshops. Decisive to the smooth running of the project, it proved to be stable, easy to use and efficient. I'm delighted that we were able to put our know-how and capacity for innovation at the service of such a significant project.
Aurélia DECHERF - IGN FI Project Manager At the debriefing presentation
In addition to the massive formalization of rights, which strengthens social peace and contributes to development, the land tenure security component has contributed to major advances in terms of access to land and recognition of the rights of women and marginalized populations. Indeed, whereas up until now women had very little access to land rights and registration, we have been authorized to experiment with the registration of women and 2 spouses on all official documents. As a result, over 70% of the plots bear the names of women, either alone or with their spouses, which is remarkable in a context where women do not inherit and find it very difficult to access land by other means. I feel that, in my own small way, I have helped to improve the situation of the project's beneficiaries. That's what this project is all about, and what we're doing in the land sector in general.
What's more, through various testimonies collected from direct and indirect beneficiaries of the project, the group can look back on a significant socio-economic impact, since, according to those who testify, the final situation is better today than before they encountered the project. For example, NDUWIMANA Tharcise, head of a family and father of 6, lives in the Matongo commune on the Ruganza hill: "Thanks to the awareness-raising campaigns and the project's support for the commune, I've been able to get a loan and buy a mill, which I'm making good money from. I pay the loan, my employees and keep a substantial profit. The loan is repayable over a three-year period. I'm in my second year of repayment and I'm having no trouble honouring my commitments to the bank. Before I had my land certificate, I couldn't get a loan because the bank always asked me to bring an endorser, which is difficult to get here. Even those who accept ask you to pay them a large sum of the loan in return. I'd like to thank IGNFI-GEOFIT-LADEC for facilitating the process of obtaining the land certificate. This mill is not only beneficial for me, it's also an asset for the community, which doesn't have to travel miles in search of services like this."
[THE GROUP IS VERY PLEASED WITH THE SUCCESS AND ITS DIRECT INVOLVEMENT FOR GREATER SUCCESS].
According to Séverin NIBITANGA, Managing Director of LADEC, the work was not easy, but a number of factors contributed to the successful implementation of the sub-component. These included the involvement of all stakeholders, particularly the communal administration, in setting up communal land services in accordance with the law, the establishment of human resources including land agents and supporting staff, and the numerous ongoing awareness-raising campaigns aimed at the general public.
Sévérin NIBITANGA, Managing Director of LADEC at the presentation of the report
During the surveys," explains Sévérin NIBITANGA, "they were able to collect information, identify beneficiaries and clarify the rights of each party. All this information is stored electronically, which will enable us to reconstitute a land document, should the need arise. This information will be transmitted to the communal land services, which have already been trained to manage it. The same information will be transmitted to the PRRPB, to government bodies, and all this will ensure proper archiving and conservation," he recalls.
For more information on the component and the project, click on the link below
