Foreword
Towards Sustainable Management of Soils:
The German–African Cooperation
The workshop entitled “Legal instruments for the effective protection and sustainable management of soils” was organized in cooperation with Germany and Uganda.
Germany and Uganda are long-standing partners and can look back on more than
50 years of successful and trustful cooperation.
SDG 15—Life on Land—states as follows: Human life depends on the earth as
much as the ocean for our sustenance and livelihoods. Plant life provides 80% of our
human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resource and means
of development. Forests account for 30% of the earth’s surface, providing vital
habitats for millions of species and important sources for clean air and water, as well
as being crucial for combating climate change.
Today we are witnessing unprecedented land degradation; drought and desertification is also on the rise each year. Of the 8300 animal breeds known, 8% are extinct
and a further 22% are at risk of extinction.
Land is one of the most essential pillars of human existence and economic
development. In Uganda, land is the most invaluable asset for citizens.
It is acquired to provide livelihood and facilitate production and economic
transformation of the country. Consequentially, land issues are highly sensitive in
Uganda. In a bid to resolve the rampant conflicts over land in the country, a
commission of inquiry into land matters was recently established.
Secured access to land is one of the key prerequisites for the sustainable use and
protection of soils and, as such, is fundamental to poverty and hunger reduction. In
this connection, Uganda has created a favorable framework for reform of land law
through progressive constitutional and land policy. Four tenure regimes are available: freehold, leasehold, customary land, and Mailo land. However, fewer than 10%
of all plots of land in Uganda are formally registered. Rural populations are particularly prone to lack the necessary documentation to protect their land rights. For this
v
Towards Sustainable Management of Soils:
The German–African Cooperation
The workshop entitled “Legal instruments for the effective protection and sustainable management of soils” was organized in cooperation with Germany and Uganda.
Germany and Uganda are long-standing partners and can look back on more than
50 years of successful and trustful cooperation.
SDG 15—Life on Land—states as follows: Human life depends on the earth as
much as the ocean for our sustenance and livelihoods. Plant life provides 80% of our
human diet, and we rely on agriculture as an important economic resource and means
of development. Forests account for 30% of the earth’s surface, providing vital
habitats for millions of species and important sources for clean air and water, as well
as being crucial for combating climate change.
Today we are witnessing unprecedented land degradation; drought and desertification is also on the rise each year. Of the 8300 animal breeds known, 8% are extinct
and a further 22% are at risk of extinction.
Land is one of the most essential pillars of human existence and economic
development. In Uganda, land is the most invaluable asset for citizens.
It is acquired to provide livelihood and facilitate production and economic
transformation of the country. Consequentially, land issues are highly sensitive in
Uganda. In a bid to resolve the rampant conflicts over land in the country, a
commission of inquiry into land matters was recently established.
Secured access to land is one of the key prerequisites for the sustainable use and
protection of soils and, as such, is fundamental to poverty and hunger reduction. In
this connection, Uganda has created a favorable framework for reform of land law
through progressive constitutional and land policy. Four tenure regimes are available: freehold, leasehold, customary land, and Mailo land. However, fewer than 10%
of all plots of land in Uganda are formally registered. Rural populations are particularly prone to lack the necessary documentation to protect their land rights. For this
v