Participatory land use planning in Ngogwe subcounty- Empowering communities for sustainable development

Abstract

The envisaged introduction of oil palm cultivation as part of the Uganda National Oil Palm Project (NOPP) in Ngogwe subcounty, Buikwe district, will reduce the arable land available for community use and increase the existing pressures on the local environment. This proposalfor the district leaves local communities with hard choices about how to meet their needs from the remaining land. Ecological Trends Alliance, supported by Tropenbos International, worked with the six parishes that make up Ngogwe subcounty to achieve food security and sustainable land management through a new land use plan. This was developed through dialogue and participatory processes with communities in each parish to ensure that the plan promoted inclusive decision making and monitoring. This info brief presents the vision, goal and objectives identified by the communities to move the subcounty towards more sustainable land use, and outlines the main issues and recommendations to address these challenges.