The Swaziland Environment Action Plan (SEAP)

RECOMMENDED POLICY AND STRATEGY FRAMEWORK

1.1 RURAL LAND AND ENVIRONMENT

Subject to the objectives and priorities set out in the NLEP, this policy (RLEP) is broadly focused within a rural context, addressing such matters as rural land tenure and overall resource management. In particular, it should spatially prioritise major land uses and rural activities. This should be reflected in the NDS and NPDP, and should include full implementation of the AEZ concept. Sector related policies, such as agriculture, biodiversity, energy, tourism, etc., including linkages and interactions, are worked out at the next hierarchical level.

ISSUES SUMMARY

Environment

Protection of biodiversity and ecological values versus the need for food production.
Lack of rehabilitation of degraded land and inadequate soil conservation practices.
Increasing land degradation by roads, industry, settlements, etc.
Pollution of air, water and soil resources by industry, settlement and agriculture.
Role of traditional authorities inadequate in dealing with environmental matters.

Land use and management

Lack of planning and development control regulations.
Shortage of suitable arable and grazing land.
Present arable lands increasingly being abandoned, especially in the Lowveld.
Non- or inappropriate use of land, notably on government and private farms.
Lack of protection and proper use of prime agricultural land.
Mismatch between land use and land suitability.
Smallholder production versus large scale commercial farming.
Lack of involvement of rural population in decisions on land use.

Land tenure

Dominant influence of the major land tenure systems on rural land policy.
Present tenure arrangements restrictive to development and investment.
Boundary disputes remaining unsolved and remediation measures ineffective.
Lack of public knowledge on tenure issues.
Lack of clarity of farm dwellers and owners rights.
Gender inequity in land rights no longer acceptable.
Unofficial and unequal distribution in land allocation.

Social and economic factors, infrastructure

Women wholly responsible for woodfuel and water collection, which goes at the expense of more important activities such as child care, health and hygiene, food preparation, education, employment and other income generating activities.
Application of free market practices in property and produce, including restructuring of marketing and other social relationships.
Low rural incomes and lack of income opportunities for the rural population.
Inadequate infrastructure (roads, transport, energy supply, communications, etc.).
Scattered human settlement patterns.

Water resources

Degradation of water catchments due to uncontrolled settlement and development.
Inadequate arrangements and legislation for water apportionment.
Lack of water for livestock, irrigation, domestic use.
Insufficient and inadequate water harvesting.

Forestry

Unsustainable use of indigenous forest and woodland resources.
Insufficient supply of fuelwood and other wood products.
Negative effects of plantation forestry on biodiversity and water resources.

Institutional/legal aspects

Responsibility for land and water divided over various ministries and departments.
Fragmented land related legislation.
Lack of reinforcement of the law in land and environment matters.

SUMMARY POLICY PROPOSALS

The rural policy level is the appropriate level to make overall and holistic decisions for the rural environment. It is essential at this level to make linkages between the major rural subsectors and achieve a proper balance with regard to the importance, priorities, role, place and interaction of the main rural land uses.

Broad overall objectives are defined with specific relevance to rural development. The policy principles and practical policy elements form the basis of the practical rural policy. The overall policy framework allows the formulation and design of strategies to achieve the objectives.

Status of Policy

Non-existent.

Broad Overall Objectives

To achieve a sustainable balance in the use of land, water and other natural resources between production systems, rural settlement and protection of the environment.
To maintain and improve biodiversity of indigenous and introduced ecosystems.
To diversify rural production systems and create new job opportunities.
To reform land tenure arrangements to ensure security and stimulate progressive land development.
To improve rural infrastructure and affordable sustainable energy supply.

Policy Principles

Land and water resources be sustainably managed and used for efficient production.
Areas of specific biologic, historic or cultural interest be reserved for preservation and recreation.
Consumption needs be integrated in the planning and implementation of agricultural production systems.
The economic rationale of farmers and households be recognized in policy interventions.
Sustainable human settlement be ensured in all rural development.
Empowerment of communities and especially women be pursued in decision making and management of resources.
Subject to the inviolability of all existing property rights, property rights be devolved to the primary users of those rights (inclusive of chiefly rights on SNL).
Markets for all property rights, inclusive of rights over produce, be enabled to work as efficiently as possible.

Practical policy elements

General

Integrated approach be pursued for land development and environmental management.
The agroecological zoning concept and land suitability be used for the planning and spatial distribution of major land uses.
Options and priorities of holistic rural development be carefully considered and decided in cross-sectoral context.
Changes in land use be controlled and regulated for optimal use of land resources and conservation of productive land.
Rural communities be actively involved and participating in the planning and decision making process on land use and resource management, in particular sources of energy.
Innovative production systems such as permaculture be introduced and stimulated.

Land tenure

The rights of all parties over land be evidenced in writing.
The potential be created for improvements in rural land practices to be rewarded by improvements in the strength of tenure.
Boundary conflicts between chieftaincies be solved in a legal and permanent manner.
Planning for sustainable use of purchased farms be pursued.

Agricultural crop production

Irrigated arable and tree crop production be further developed in areas suitable for irrigation, with preferential concentration on the low rainfall areas.
Rainfed arable and tree crop production be encouraged and developed in high rainfall areas, i.e. the suitable land of the Upper Middleveld and Highveld, and discouraged in low rainfall areas, i.e. Lower Middleveld and Lowveld.

Livestock production

Livestock production be developed in a rational balance with crop production according to suitability of the land: part of the animal production be shifted from Highveld/Upper Middleveld (high potential crop production areas) to Lower Middleveld/Lowveld (low potential crop production areas).

Forestry

Commercial plantation forestry be further developed only in Highveld areas with sufficient rainfall and low potential for agricultural use, taking care to keep the impact on the ecological and population balance at a minimal level.
Forestry be phased out in areas with high crop production potential.
Communal and commercial small woodlots be developed in areas with a need for forest products, complementary to indigenous woodlands.

Nature and wildlife reserves

Land for parks and nature reserves be selected after careful consideration of other land use options and the overall land use balance.
Very severely degraded and unproductive land temporarily or permanently be taken out of production and rehabilitated (conservation with protection).
Wildlife management areas be designated in areas adjacent to game and nature reserves.
Game farming be promoted in abandoned arable lands, land under rehabilitation and farms with heavy bush encroachment.

Settlement and infrastructure

Rural settlement be developed as compact residential concentrations in locations suitable for infrastructural improvements.
Settlement, infrastructure and rural industries be developed on land with low potential for agricultural production.
Energy supply be closely linked with settlement and infrastructure development through integrated rural planning.
Cheap rural electricity supply be promoted to compete with other energy sources.
The effects of road construction be minimized with respect to health, environment and social structures.
Road safety be increased, especially with respect to pedestrians and the hazard of stray cattle.

Rural water resources and supply

Adequate supply and efficient use of safe water be ensured for domestic, agricultural and other rural purposes.
Sustainable distribution of water for the various rural uses be determined according to agreed priorities and defined quantities for specific zones of the country.
In the overall distribution of water for rural purposes priority be given to the development of safe water supply and sanitation for the whole population.

Policy Supportive Elements

It may not be required to formulate a separate support policy at the rural level. Elements such as legislation, information and public awareness are already sufficiently covered at the national level, especially with regard to the relationship rural/peri-urban/urban. The lower sectoral levels are the appropriate place for working out specific supportive policies.

SUMMARY STRATEGY PROPOSALS

General Strategic Approach

The general strategy approach corresponds with the level one national policy.

To improve and strengthen planning, management and evaluation systems for land and land resources.
To strengthen institutions and coordinating mechanisms for land and land resources, so that they are fully able to implement policies and systems.
To create mechanisms which will ensure the active involvement and participation of all concerned (the stakeholders), particularly communities and people at the local level, in decision on land use and management.
To apply and further develop the existing framework for decision making.
To strengthen and apply the information base on the use, status and potential of the natural resources.
To ensure that policies, programmes and projects can be sustained by Government.

Planning strategy based on agroecological zoning

Practical strategies for rural land and environment are based on the defined policies. The framework for decision making and the required resource databases (Geographic Information Systems) are to a large extent already in place. This enables to make strategic decisions, based on the agroecological zoning (AEZ) of Swaziland.

The agroecological zones methodology provides a framework to organize and evaluate land resource data, including selection of alternative land uses, determination of climatic and soil requirements of these uses, the inventory of climate and soils combined in agro-ecological units, and classification into land suitability classes for the selected land uses.

The agroecological map of Swaziland provides the land resource data for land evaluation and land use planning. The distinguished agroecological units represent unique combinations of soil, terrain and agroclimatic conditions, defined by (1) the moisture zone, (2) the thermal zone, (3) the topography, and (4) the soils.

Existing land use is appraised against the suitability of the land, indicating three broad categories, namely properly utilized, improperly utilized and not or underutilized. The selection or change of the major land uses and production systems in a particular area is the central issue in rural land use planning. Once these are chosen, planning can be completed with the incorporation of the requirements for infrastructure, settlement, services, etc.

Based upon the main AEZ results an overall national strategy can be developed for major land uses. Rainfed crop production should be concentrated in the Upper Middleveld and Highveld, forestry in the Highveld and irrigated agriculture and livestock development in the Lowveld and Lower Middleveld. The specific sectoral strategies are further worked out at level three and four of the hierarchy.

Land tenure strategies are already placed at the highest (national) level of the hierarchy, but will recur at all lower levels. The land tenure system is one of the most influential elements with regard to the rural land and environment policy. A suitable and workable strategy with respect to tenure arrangements is a prerequisite for all rural development.

Land tenure

To achieve the property rights objective through the institutionalising of management and information management systems
To make an inventory of chieftaincies, including the marking of disputed areas with fuzzy boundaries and the description of tenure arrangements other than traditional communal SNL.

Agricultural crop production

To promote and develop irrigated arable and tree crop production in suitable areas, with emphasis on concentration in the Lower Middleveld and Lowveld.
To promote and develop rainfed arable and tree crop production in all suitable parts of the Upper Middleveld and Highveld. Rainfed production of most crops, with the exception of few such as cotton, to be discouraged in the Lower Middleveld and Lowveld.
To introduce diversified and more profitable production systems and change to farming systems with better returns.
To promote agro-industries and other rural industries and enterprises.

Livestock production

To develop and concentrate livestock production in those parts of Lower Middleveld and Lowveld not suitable for irrigated crop production.
To discontinue grazing in Highveld and Upper Middleveld on land with high potential for crop production, especially the severely degraded rangelands, and to shift the production to areas with low crop production potential.
To achieve a better national balance between crop production and livestock development based on land suitability. This implies a gradual shift of the main animal production from the high rainfall Highveld/Upper Middleveld to the low rainfall Lower Middleveld / Lowveld. Opportunities to be explored and utilized for expansion of the livestock production exist in the abandoned communal arable land areas and underutilized farms.

Forestry

To consider further expansion of commercial plantation forestry only in Highveld areas with sufficient rainfall and low potential for agricultural use. Care is to be taken not to disturb the ecological and population balance.
To phase out forestry plantations in areas with high crop production potential.
To prioritise and develop communal and commercial small woodlots in areas with a need for forest products, complementary to indigenous woodlands. Site selection is to be based on spatial distribution analysis and appraisal of existing forest and woodland resources.

Nature and wildlife reserves

To give high priority to further selection of land for natural parks and reserves to conserve biodiversity and promote ecotourism, aiming at enlargement and zonal concentration of reserved areas. Careful consideration is to be given to the overall balance of land uses, land suitability and options for other land use.
To apply conservation with protection to very severely degraded and unproductive land. Such land is to be taken out of production on a temporary or permanent basis in programmes aiming at rehabilitation. Depending on the success rate and other factors it may remain reserved or taken back into production.
To introduce wildlife management areas in degraded land areas, and especially in peri-conservation zones. Selection of locations to be determined as part of integrated planning together with natural parks and game farming areas.
To promote game farming in abandoned arable lands and farms with heavy bush encroachment.

Settlement, energy and infrastructure

To gradually develop rural settlements as compact residential concentrations in locations suitable for infrastructural improvements (especially relevant to development of purchased SNL farms and resettlement).
To plan the development of settlement, infrastructure and rural industries on land with low potential for agricultural production.
To fully integrate resettlement in the overall planning of shifts of major land uses, e.g. irrigation agriculture and grazing to Lowveld and rainfed crop production towards Upper Middleveld. Such operations are to be accompanied by providing options for rural income generating activities.
To promote the short term development of community woodlots (indigenous and exotic) to improve supply and to emphasise fuel substitution or improved end-use efficiency to reduce demand.
To introduce and promote cheap electricity in long term planning to gradually replace other non sustainable sources of energy.
To develop priority programmes to alleviate the burden of fuel and water collection for women, leading to improved opportunities for child care, education, income generating and other positive activities.
To assess needs for planning, upgrading and maintenance of roads to support rural development and tourism.
To evaluate railway expansion against road network development considering relevant environmental, social and economic aspects

Rural water resources and supply

To determine sustainable distribution of water for the various rural uses according to agreed priorities and defined quantities for specific zones of the country.
To give priority in the overall distribution of water for rural purposes to the development of safe water supply and sanitation for the whole population.
To extend the provision of telecommunications to levels acceptable to the rural population.

KEY REFERENCE MATERIAL

Bowen, P.N. 1993. Longing for Land.
Funnell, D.C. 1991. Under the Shadow of Apartheid.
Hughes, A.J.B. 1972. Land Tenure, Land Rights and Land Communities on Swazi Nation Land.
Nkambule, N.M. 1983. A Diagnosis of Adverse Effects of Customary Land Tenure on Land Use.
Remmelzwaal/Waveren 1994. Land Use Planning Handbook for Swaziland 1995. Agro-ecological Analysis of Swaziland.
Rose, L.L. 1992. The Politics of Harmony.
UNDP/FAO 1996. Terminal report Land Use Planning for Rational Use of Land and Water Resources Project.

MINISTERIAL INVOLVEMENT

Predominantly MNRE, DPMO, MTEC and MOAC: secondarily all other above Ministries, more especially MEPD, MHUD & MEE.