National Land Policy. Country/Territory Tanzania, Un. Rep. of Document type Date 1997 Source FAO, FAOLEX Subject Environment gen., Land & soil Keyword Agricultural land Capacity building Environmental planning Land-use planning Sustainable development Soil conservation/soil improvement Biodiversity Pollution control Ecosystem preservation Protection forest Indigenous peoples Gender Traditional rights/customary rights Community management Land tenure Inheritance Ownership Geographical area Africa, AFRICA FAO, Eastern Africa, Least Developed Countries Abstract The overall aim of the National Land Policy is to promote and ensure a secure land tenure system, to encourage the optimal use of land resources, and to facilitate broad-based social and economic development without upsetting or endangering the ecological balance of the environment. The specific objectives of this National Land Policy are to: promote an equitable distribution of and access to land by all citizens; ensure that existing rights in land especially customary rights of smallholders (i.e. peasants and herdsmen who are the majority of the population in the country) are recognized, clarified, and secured in law; set ceilings on land ownership which will later be translated into statutory ceilings to prevent or avoid the phenomenon of land concentration (i.e. land grabbing); ensure that land is put to its most productive use to promote rapid social and economic development of the country; modify and streamline the existing land management systems and improve the efficiency of land delivery systems; streamline the institutional arrangements in land administration and land dispute adjudication and also make them more transparent; promote sound land information management; protect land resources from degradation for sustainable development. Full text English Website www.tzonline.org