Abstracts

Identification of Customary Land Boundary and Documentation for Sustainable Land Administration Purposes for Urban Ghana

In Ghana, access to land for farming and development purposes particularly in the rural areas could generally be achieved through the family heads and chiefs. Urbanization has adversely led to an increase in demand for land for developmental purposes. Nevertheless, parcels of land owned by families and chiefs are usually without proper artificial boundaries with surveyed pillars; only imaginary lines dictated by natural features like rivers, streams, special trees (ntome) etc represent the boundaries. As a result of climatic changes, these water bodies are drying up and coupled with perennial bush fires which rid of these trees are creating identification problems. This has created customary lands management problems over the years thereby leading to serious land disputes and conflicts among natives who share common boundaries. Lesser titles become insecure a moment disputes affect customary lands. The land Administration Project (LAP) in collaboration with Building and Road Research Institute (B.R.R.I) in a pilot project had identified a common boundary purported to be a customary land for the Ejisu Paramount stool land and its immediate traditional councils. GPS/ Satellite observations mixed with classical methods has been used to identify all possible boundary positions and linked into the new National Geodetic Reference Network (GRN). Survey results and composite plans together with legally valid descriptions of the boundary have been presented to the paramount chiefs concerned and the respective councils for their binding approval. Also copies have been sent to the land commission for the registration of the Allodial Title.