Land Management for Sustainable Agriculture Under Climate Change in the Congo-Basin Countries of Central Africa

Abstract

Degradation of ecosystem services is evident in the Congo-Basin Countries of Central Africa. This paper examines land management for sustainable agriculture in the context of environmental change and climatic stress. The interaction between drivers of change, institutional arrangements and the actions of stakeholders are discussed to highlight local, regional and global benefits of sustainable agricultural land management. The paper notes that tenure security has to be at the heart of any agricultural development plans, and managing agricultural land in the context of environmental change and climate stress requires that land managers ensure the long-term productive potential. It is recommended that land-based entrepreneurs adopt land use systems which enable them to maximize the economic and social benefits from land while enhancing the ecological support functions of land resources. The paper concludes that land policy reforms which aim to promote sustainable land management should address issues related to land rights and institutions driven by inefficient and inequitable historical legacies, including access to land by women, indigenous groups; as well the inefficiencies and inequities that arise from poor legal and administrative systems.