The Common Pool Resource (CPR) Regimes in Uganda: The Four Scenarios

Abstract

"This paper dwells on land (including forests, water bodies, national parks, forests, rangelands, wetlands, leisure parks and green belts); one that is considered the most important common in Uganda. In the pre-colonial era land in Uganda was governed differently. The Kabaka of Buganda owned land and held it in trust for the people of Buganda. In other parts of the country, land was owned communally, with chiefs as the main controllers. However, the 1900 Agreement with the British created mailo land, freehold and crown land tenure in the country. Uganda has not had a proper land policy since independence. After the failure to fully implement the 1998 Land Act in 2000, a decision was taken to set up the National Land Policy. Earlier attempts to solve the problems in the tenure system, like the 1975 Land Decree, the 1995 Constitution and Land Act 1998 failed. As such the Ideal Scenario presents what obtained and what ought to be done in policy development, the Moribund Scenario presents weaknesses in policy development, the Slumber Scenario presents actions that have been neglected in policy development and the Bleak Scenario presents challenges and constraints militating against policy development."