Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Justification
1.3 Objectives
1.4 Structure of the study
1.5 Methodology

1.1 Introduction

The urban population in South, South-East and East Asia increased by 550 million people (or 261 per cent) during the period 1960-1990 and it is expected to increase by 1,286 million people (or 244 per cent) (United Nations, 1993) during the period 1990-2020. The current urbanization rate in the region is equivalent to the growth of one city with 140,000 people each day. This unprecedented urbanization process will require a large amount of prime agricultural land to be converted to urban land, mostly in the urban periphery. However, research shows that a large majority of the new urban population do not have easy access to land and that much of the new development is not adequately serviced (UNCHS, 1990c).

Current practices and policies regarding urban land use, zoning and development can not manage the situation efficiently and major efforts are required to improve land market efficiency. Furthermore, there is a need to control land speculation which is rampant and to provide alternative investment opportunities. The sheer magnitude of the urbanization figures and the limited government and private resources make an efficient urban land management system absolutely imperative. It has also been argued that continued economic growth in the Asian region will be directly tied to the efficient and productive guidance of the urbanization process, the key issues being employment generation, provision of housing and infrastructure development (Van Huyck, 1987).

There is a need to increase the efficiency of urban land markets in the region. While appropriate land management measures will differ between countries, land markets should be deregulated, and the speed of transaction processes and provision of basic infrastructure improved. Zoning restrictions should be lifted to allow land to be used for both economic and residential purposes as many poor depend on their residences for earning an income. At the same time it will also be necessary to control and improve the environmental situation.

The interpretation of what is included in the concept of land management varies considerably. A common misinterpretation is that land management is akin to land administration. While land administration gives connotations to something passive, of recording actions which have already taken place, land management is a dynamic and active process where the most appropriate land use is constantly changing. Governments should be sensitive to the needs of their people and provide enabling mechanisms to promote the most appropriate use of limited land resources for the present and, preferably, future generations. Mechanisms include the promotion of dynamic planning tools, public-private partnership, low-cost technologies, appropriate standards etc.

It has gradually been realized that the powers of national governments need to be decentralized. Local government has more knowledge of local problems and allows for greater representation of various ethnic, religious and political groups in the urban development planning process. The Regional Plan of Action, adopted by ministers representing all the members of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) at the Ministerial Conference on Urbanization in 1993, recommends not only that provision of urban infrastructure and services should be the responsibility of the local government, but that their financial resources as well as technical and human resources should be strengthened (ESCAP, 1993). It is clear that a decentralization process will have to take place but also that municipalities need to increase their competence, efficiency and accountability. One of the main functions of local governments is land management.

1.2 Justification

Currently, there is little up-to-date information which focuses on the land policies and practices prevailing within local governments. Furthermore, there are several approaches to land management, often innovative, being practised in cities in the Asian region. There is a need to disseminate this information to other municipalities.

1.3 Objectives

The main objective of the study is to compile for ready reference of city managers a practical source of land management options and an analysis of their effectiveness as these are practised in a number of cities in South and South-East Asia. The study also identifies the main problem areas and presents innovative solutions where such can be found. The process of compiling data and information for the questionnaire itself should have assisted the local governments to analyse their land management system and stimulated the staff and officials to find ways of improving it. Since the examples of approaches to land management problems contained in the study are derived from practical experiences in the selected municipalities, they should be implementable in other cities depending on the context.

It is expected that the study will also find use as a training tool at local and national government agencies as well as at universities. The included data and research findings will be useful for research and comparative purposes in other cities.

1.4 Structure of the study

The study has three main sections. The first section (chapter 2-4) presents the case-studies; the institutional framework and division of responsibilities among the tiers of government; land tenure in its most prevailing forms and the existing situation of illegal settlements. The second and main body of the study (chapter 5-9) is analytical in nature and examines current policies, practices and the regulatory framework seen from a set of discrete key issues. The section also highlights the primary problems and obstacles to efficient land management. The final section (chapter 10) presents commonly used and/or innovative government solutions to the problem of providing land for low-income shelter.

1.5 Methodology

In addition to an extensive survey of existing literature, several research and training institutes in the region were approached to provide literature and specific information. Discussions were also held with several experts on land management issues in Asia.

The study gathered up-to-date information through the distribution of questionnaires to member municipalities of the Regional Network of Local Authorities for the Management of Human Settlements (CITYNET). The six municipalities which completed the questionnaires were Bandung (Indonesia), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Hué (Viet Nam), Kandy (Sri Lanka), Makati (the Philippines) and Penang (Malaysia). Their replies have formed the basis of the discussions on identified key issues. Some municipalities have been invited to produce case descriptions of successful initiatives.

Go to Chapter 2: The Case Studies