Abstract

Land in Malawi is a key asset not only as a source of livelihood but also the main vehicle for investment and accumulation of wealth. Due to the key role that the land plays, the way in which access of this resource is regulated has important implications on countries development. Changes in social patterns due to population pressure, market value of land and HIV and AIDS have changed the way in which customary land is accessed. Research conducted in Kenya, Lesotho and South Africa revealed that HIV and AIDS affected households were losing out their access to customary land. No research has been conducted in Malawi to quantify the impact of HIV and AIDS on land under customary tenure. This study was conducted in Mzimba and Lilongwe districts to quantify the impact of HIV and AIDS on customary land. The study was carried out to find out if HIV and AIDS affected households were losing out their access to customary land. Secondly the study also identified coping strategies that were employed by HIV and AIDS affected households to avoid losing out their access to customary land and assessed the socio-economic factors that affect customary land tenure security in Malawi. The data were collected from a sample of 185 HIV and AIDS affected and 185 HIV and AIDS non-affected households. Mzimba district had a total sample of 160 of which 80 households were HIV and AIDS affected households and 80 non-affected while Lilongwe contributed 210 of which 105 households were HIV and AIDS affected, as well as, 105 non-affected. Using a structured questionnaire and information collected were complemented by key informant interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGD) collected data. Logistic model was used to identify the socio-economic factors that affected customary land tenure security in Malawi and descriptive statistics (means, frequencies and percentages) were used to analyse other objectives. The mean land lost by HIV and AIDS affected households was 0.39 hectares while that of non-affected households was 0.13 hectares in the study area. The result was statistically significant at 5 % level implying that there was significant difference in mean land lost between HIV and AIDS affected and non-affected households. The study found out that the mean land holding sizes for affected and non-affected households were not statistically different at 5% level. The coping strategies employed by HIV and AIDS affected household to avoid losing their access to customary land were renting out land (10%), lending land to neighbours and relatives (9%) and always farm the plots of land by using permanent labours (8%), casual labourers (21%) and school going children (43%). The study also found out that occupation, sex and land holding size of households affected tenure insecurity negatively while education level, land cultivated, household size and land cultivated affected tenure security positively while dummy for household category (affected and non-affected) had a positive parameter estimate but was not significant implying that tenure security was not influenced or affected by household category of HIV and AIDS infections NAPHAM THAO and NAC should lobby for improvement on the ability for HIV and AIDS affected households to have secure access to land to avoid land loss through registration of customary land.

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School	: Bunda College of Agriculture
Issued Date	: 2007

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