An exploratory review of legal texts and literature on living tenure systems in Madagascar

A lack of information about the living customary systems that manage commons in Madagascar hampers efforts to identify the levels at which collectivities charged with allocating land and enforcing land claims should receive legal recognition. To help address this knowledge gap and inform ongoing leg...

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Main Authors: McLain, R., Ranjatson, P., Heidenrich, T., Rakotonirina, J. M., Nomenjanahary, A. R. F., Razafimbelo, N. T. R.
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: Center for International Forestry Research 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/171449
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author McLain, R.
Ranjatson, P.
Heidenrich, T.
Rakotonirina, J. M.
Nomenjanahary, A. R. F.
Razafimbelo, N. T. R.
author_browse Heidenrich, T.
McLain, R.
Nomenjanahary, A. R. F.
Rakotonirina, J. M.
Ranjatson, P.
Razafimbelo, N. T. R.
author_facet McLain, R.
Ranjatson, P.
Heidenrich, T.
Rakotonirina, J. M.
Nomenjanahary, A. R. F.
Razafimbelo, N. T. R.
author_sort McLain, R.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description A lack of information about the living customary systems that manage commons in Madagascar hampers efforts to identify the levels at which collectivities charged with allocating land and enforcing land claims should receive legal recognition. To help address this knowledge gap and inform ongoing legal reforms aimed at recognizing collective tenure, we reviewed relevant legal texts and field studies of Malagasy tenure systems. Our review of legal texts revealed that the lack of a clear legal definition of the collectivities located closest to rural villagers is a major obstacle to efforts aimed at recognizing the land allocation and governance rights of existing local institutions. At the same time, our review of field research of customary tenure systems demonstrates that these systems continue to function more or less effectively in many parts of rural Madagascar. The evidence also suggests that the positive effect of customary tenure systems on conservation outcomes is contingent upon the degree to which those making and enforcing the rules are perceived to have legitimacy, as well as the degree to which the rules reflect local realities and values. This argues in favour of providing clear statutory recognition of local-level customary institutions, and their authority to establish and regulate use of land and forests.
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spelling CGSpace1714492025-02-19T14:35:59Z An exploratory review of legal texts and literature on living tenure systems in Madagascar McLain, R. Ranjatson, P. Heidenrich, T. Rakotonirina, J. M. Nomenjanahary, A. R. F. Razafimbelo, N. T. R. customary law land tenure rural communities tenure A lack of information about the living customary systems that manage commons in Madagascar hampers efforts to identify the levels at which collectivities charged with allocating land and enforcing land claims should receive legal recognition. To help address this knowledge gap and inform ongoing legal reforms aimed at recognizing collective tenure, we reviewed relevant legal texts and field studies of Malagasy tenure systems. Our review of legal texts revealed that the lack of a clear legal definition of the collectivities located closest to rural villagers is a major obstacle to efforts aimed at recognizing the land allocation and governance rights of existing local institutions. At the same time, our review of field research of customary tenure systems demonstrates that these systems continue to function more or less effectively in many parts of rural Madagascar. The evidence also suggests that the positive effect of customary tenure systems on conservation outcomes is contingent upon the degree to which those making and enforcing the rules are perceived to have legitimacy, as well as the degree to which the rules reflect local realities and values. This argues in favour of providing clear statutory recognition of local-level customary institutions, and their authority to establish and regulate use of land and forests. 2021 2025-01-29T12:58:11Z 2025-01-29T12:58:11Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/171449 en Open Access Center for International Forestry Research McLain, R.; Ranjatson, P.; Heidenrich, T.; Rakotonirina, J. M.; Nomenjanahary, A. R. F.; and Razafimbelo, N. T. R. 2021. An exploratory review of legal texts and literature on living tenure systems in Madagascar. CIFOR Working Paper 278. Bogor, Indonesia: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR). https://doi.org/10.17528/cifor/008342
spellingShingle customary law
land tenure
rural communities
tenure
McLain, R.
Ranjatson, P.
Heidenrich, T.
Rakotonirina, J. M.
Nomenjanahary, A. R. F.
Razafimbelo, N. T. R.
An exploratory review of legal texts and literature on living tenure systems in Madagascar
title An exploratory review of legal texts and literature on living tenure systems in Madagascar
title_full An exploratory review of legal texts and literature on living tenure systems in Madagascar
title_fullStr An exploratory review of legal texts and literature on living tenure systems in Madagascar
title_full_unstemmed An exploratory review of legal texts and literature on living tenure systems in Madagascar
title_short An exploratory review of legal texts and literature on living tenure systems in Madagascar
title_sort exploratory review of legal texts and literature on living tenure systems in madagascar
topic customary law
land tenure
rural communities
tenure
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/171449
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