Ignition for fit for purpose land administration in Nepal

In Nepal, the drive to ignite Fit For Purpose (FFP) Land Administration gained importance following two important events: The earthquakes in 2015 and the promulgation of a new Constitution in 2015. During the severe earthquakes (EQ) 8790 people died, more than 100,000 people were displaced and some 769.000 structures were destroyed. The promulgation of a new Constitution proposes the state to restructure into a federal structure with land administration services split into central, state and local government entities.

Land is an important issue underlying many of the reconstruction challenges. Shelter needs to be provided for the affected population, either temporary or permanent. Infrastructure needs rebuilding, and urban and rural livelihoods need to be re-established.

FFP Land Administration is designed to meet the land administration needs of people and the environment - and to support identifying the way land is occupied and used - within a relatively short time and at relatively low costs. There is growing agreement that the approach can help Nepal to address key land tenure issues surrounding recovery and reconstruction. The guidelines of the FFP approach can also assist the government of Nepal in managing the resettlement of high risk communities. It will provide structured guidance on building the spatial, legal and institutional frameworks - and use pro-poor land tools that fit the purpose, are flexible, and can be improved over time to support the provisions of the new Constitution.

In this paper the opportunities for the implementation of FFP land administration will be described. Besides an overview of the tenure types and a description of the current land administration, it will also take the post disaster land challenges into account.