website: http://www.ruc.dk/ruc_en/studying/OB/intdev/

International Development Studies (IDS) is a research and teaching department of Roskilde University, Denmark (RUC). The overall aim of the research carried out by IDS is to address and explore issues related to political, economic and cultural institutions in development from an interdisciplinary angle. IDS-RUC has 15 permanent scientific staff members and has participated in a large number of collaborative research efforts. Of interest to the current proposal is the SEREIN (The Soudano-Sahel Research Initiative) programme which conducted interdisciplinary research of natural resource management and local politics in Burkina Faso. IDS has a strong focus on the Sahelian region which has also been reflected in the department's PhD programme.

Over the past 7 years Christian Lund has conducted research on conflicts over land and other natural resources in Niger and Burkina Faso. In particular, he has focussed on the ways in which local and wider political histories impinge upon land disputes, and how the nature of land tenure conflicts influences the local political arena. More recently, Christian Lund has begun to focus on the processes by which people transform their interests in land into claims, and transform claims into rights. He is currently engaged in a research project to investigate the importance of written records of land transactions which have not been led by the state, and how such non-state forms for certifying property rights may influence the capacity of various authorities' in conflict management. He will provide input and expertise into the development of research methods and the drawing of conclusions in relation to all four work packages.
Recent and forthcoming publications include:
Lund, C (forthcoming) 'Negotiating property institutions or Proving the pudding.' in Juul K and Lund C (eds) Negotiating Property in Africa, Heinemann
Lund, C (forthcoming) 'Les Réformes Foncières dans un Contexte de Pluralisme Juridique et Institutionnel: Burkina Faso et Niger.' in J-P Chauveau; G Courade; J Coussy; M Le Pape; M Levy and G Winther (eds) Inegalités et Politiques Publiques en Afrique: Pluralité des Normes et Jeux d'Acteurs, Paris, IDR/Karthala.
Lund C, (1999) A Question of Honour - Property Disputes and Brokerage in Burkina Faso.' Africa vol 69, no 4
Lund, C (1999) 'Politics in a Sahelian Town; Dori and the Art of Alliance.' Danish Journal of Geography vol. 2 1999 pp. 15-25
Lund, C (1998) Law, Power and Politics in Niger - Land Struggles and the Rural Code, Hamburg/New Brunswick: LIT Verlag/Transaction Publishers.

Recent economic research has demonstrated clearly that the privatisation of land and natural resources is neither necessary nor sufficient to bring about improvements in agricultural investment, access to credit, or increased productivity1. It has also been shown that local systems for managing land do not necessarily constitute a brake on intensification of the farming sector, since local regulations evolve and adapt in ways that provide customary users with sufficient security2. The security with which land is held depends less on the formal nature of the rights held, and far more on whether they are subject to challenge, and from whom. The debate on land tenure has thus shifted from a simple debate either in favour or against the privatisation and titling of land, towards identifying the means to help institutions evolve to provide greater security regarding land claims. Providing greater security of rights involves a move by government towards recognising the role that local structures and institutions can play in regulating access to land. Governments are increasingly taking a pragmatic policy approach centred on providing a national legal framework to support and strengthen diverse local institutions and methods3.
New forms of land transaction raise particularly complex and difficult questions. For example, sales of land have been spreading considerably in certain areas, but they remain in most cases illegitimate as a form of transaction in the eyes of many local people, as well as being technically illegal so far as the state administration is concerned. Land insecurity is particularly linked to such transactions. In the face of such uncertainties, recent research has shown the diverse strategies by which local people try to strengthen their claims over land, by the use of witnesses, drawing up a written contract, or acquiring an official stamp from local government officer. Such innovative initiatives by some local actors provide the basis for possible policy measures aimed at strengthening local institutional practice, but they need to be better documented.
Renewable natural resources (such as grazing and woodlands) remain of considerable importance to rural production systems in many parts of West Africa. However, systems for their management are frequently weak, given the lack of clarity regarding allocation of responsibilities for controlling access. Such resources are coming under increasing pressure as land becomes scarcer, raising important concerns about the exclusion of certain groups, generation of conflict, and impacts of urban interests. A deeper knowledge of local strategies for control over these resources is essential for achieving more sustainable management.