HIV/AIDS and Land Lesotho, Kenya, South Africa (Malawi, Uganda) Partners          Start date unknown End date unknown   * Southern African Regional Poverty Network * The Southern African Regional Office of the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations * Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa * Oxfam GB Contacts * Michael Aliber maliber@hsrc.ac.za Purpose To study the impacts of HIV/AIDS on the livelihoods of people living on the land in Africa, its impact on land use in different regions, and the implications for land policy and HIV/AIDS programmes.

	Lessons:
	The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Land: Case studies from Kenya, Lesotho and South Africa A Synthesis Report prepared for the Southern African Regional Office of the FAO. August 2002 PDF NEW
	The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Rural Households and Land Issues in Southern and Eastern Africa. A Background Paper prepared for the FAO, Sub-Regional Office for Southern and Eastern Africa. August 2002 HTML
	HIV/AIDS and the Land Workshop, Pretoria, 24 – 25 June 2002 Workshop introduction and overview PDF, Workshop Report PDF,
	The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Land Rights by Michael Aliber; Cherryl Walker; Mumbi Machera; Paul Kamau; Charles Omondi; Karuti Kanyinga. Based on three village case studies from different parts of Kenya, this study explores the relationship between HIV/AIDS and land rights focusing on women as a socially vulnerable group. HTML
	RENEWAL - Regional Network on HIV/AIDS, Rural Livelihoods and Food Security HTML
	Other related papers HTML

Use of Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches

• loss of income due to loss of a job or the ability to work due to illness;
• depletion of savings and sale of assets to meet medical expenses and to pay for funerals;
• limitation of livelihood options as a result of chronic illness with land use assuming increased importance as a result;
• limitation of ability to use the land as a result of illness and caring for the ill, sale of livestock, and inability to re- purchase;
• vulnerability to loss of access to land following HIV/AIDS related deaths.

All the studies found a strong link between HIV/AIDS and land loss. AIDS widows are particularly vulnerable to land loss, as their rights in land are weak.

Despite its declining importance, land remains a significant resource in the livelihoods of most communities in sub-Saharan Africa and a main vehicle to invest, accumulate wealth and transfer it between generations. The workshop report highlights the institutional context and recommends that community structures and local government should be drawn into policy development and implementation to make land a more effective livelihood base, and to address the needs that are causing asset depletion – like education and health care. Land tenure/ policy and administration systems need to take account of the impacts of the epidemic.