Participatory Integrated Planning (PIP), land governance and food security: insights from Burundi

Burundi is confronted with a complex interplay of land scarcity and increasing land degradation, with large parts of the population having insufficient means to achieve food security and sustain their livelihoods. This situation is exacerbated by a history of conflict, displacement and land disputes between repatriates and incumbents. Over the past decade, efforts of the Dutch government and its partners have aimed to tackle both the dwindling resource base (through the Participatory Integrated Planning, or PIP, approach) as well as land-related conflicts and the difficult access to formal land administration (through Land Tenure Registration, or LTR). Despite the interrelationship between PIP and LTR, the two have been largely developed and refined in separation. Departing from promise that synergies between the two approaches are not only possible, but also highly desirable, the results of this research confirm that a mutually beneficial relationship exists, with various potentially synergistic interactions identified. The results however indicate that such synergies are not to be found in a simple succession, but rather a well-conceived intertwining of LTR and PIP interventions. With the complexity and context-specificity of each location in mind, this study suggest five sequential recommendations that are meant to provide guidance when aiming to integrate the two approaches.