Customary Land Tenure and Land Documentation in the Was a Amenfi District, Western Ghana

Abstract

This paper explores the land ownership and use arrangements in Wasa Amenfi noting that both external and internal influences have resulted in adaptations in the traditional land tenure system. Using primary data complemented by documentary evidence, the perceptions of community members concerning the evolving customary land tenure practices in Wasa Amenli, various forms or land documentation are detailed. The expositions give examples of the evolving nature or land tenure where the old practice works alongside new adaptations though interpreted differently. This paper concludes by emphasising land remains the most essential resource for sustaining the livelihoods of people in Wasa Amenfi. Competing demands for land has resulted in pronounced land conflicts and the National Land Policy and the Land Administration Programme are policy and programme interventions aimed at streamlining land administration including customary land tenure lo reduce land conflicts and enhance productivity of land. While traditional and formal means or resolving conflicts exist, the paper recommends that standardisation of local documentation practices can assist in establishing benchmarks for determining land boundaries, providing common grounds for conflict resolution, and consequently enhance agricultural production as a way of reducing poverty at both local and national levels.