TENURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE GAMBIA: SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS AND POLICY OPTIONS

This summary report synthesizes the central research findings of the Working Group on Resource Tenure and Land Use Planning and the Law Reform Commission of The Gambia, recommending a series of tenure policy options for both government and donor agencies. Specific programs and projects are also discussed. The team conducted a series of case studies (presented here as annexes) on the tenure situations found in different agroecological zones in The Gambia. This summary report comprises key tenure issues about tenure and natural resource management in The Gambia. It looks at definitions of tenure and resource-management vocabulary, formal legislation and customary tenure arrangements, and areas where tenure issues are the most contentious. Having identified the key problems in the current tenure systems, the report then addresses various approaches that government and donors may wish to take in confronting these problems. These proposals range from replacing customary tenure regimes with new legal frameworks to looking for ways to strengthen established customary arrangements. The report goes on to consider how individuals working in the natural resource domain can better respond to tenure concerns through designing and implementing projects. Finally, the report focuses on specific policy actions that the government may wish to take in the short, medium, and long term to address the concerns raised.