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

Abstract

Of the 6873 hectares administrated by Busamuzi subcounty, Buvuma district, Uganda, 44% was assigned to oil palm cultivation, with 23% declared as protected forests. This leaves local communities with hard choices about how to meet their needs from the remaining 33% of land. Ecological Trends Alliance, supported by Tropenbos International, worked with the four parishes that make up Busamuzi 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 infobrief 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.