Landlessness amidst Abundance? [Draft]
Abstract
Developing countries like Uganda are abundantly endowed with natural resources with large chunks of land lying under -utilized. Ironically, landlessness is one of most frequently cited cause of poverty, particularly among the chronically poor. Factors that perpetuate landlessness among the poorest are not well understood. This paper provides insights into the categories of the chronically poor that are most susceptible to landlessness using Uganda as a case study. It also explores key policy processes that may promote or act as a disincentive to land access for the chronically poor. The analysis shows that once landless, the chronically poor are exposed to several interlocking factors that push them further into poverty. Some of these factors are both causes and consequences of poverty and landlessness, thus bringing in the aspect of multidimensionality. The analysis draws from data in the 1991/1992 and 1999/2000 Uganda National Household Surveys, the 1998/99 and 2001/2002 Uganda participatory poverty assessments and other secondary data sources on land issues in the country.
Citation
Landlessness amidst Abundance?[Draft], presented at Staying Poor: Chronic Poverty and Development Policy, Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester, 7-9 April 2003. Chronic Poverty Research Centre (CPRC), Manchester, UK, 34 pp.
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