Contested grounds: customary land and economic development in Solomon Islands

Customary Land is vital to economic development. But attempts to access customary land through state sanctioned processes for economic development have often caused disputes. In discussions about how to address this, there are usually two schools of thought. One argument is that the formal registration and titling of customary land as a perpetual estate is necessary to ensure security of tenure, which is fundamental to long-term investments. The other argument is customary systems of tenure has served Solomon Islanders well for thousands of years and act as a social safety net that prevents large-scale landlessness and poverty. Furthermore, land under customary tenure can be mobilized for economic development without the need for registration. In Solomon Islands, successive governments have favored land registration as the prerequisite for development. Consequently, nearly every large-scale land-based development starts with land adjudication either through customary land recording or land acquisition processes. But, this has not resolved the challenges associated with customary land and development. This presentation examines the relationship between land and development in Solomon Islands, focusing on the nature and dynamics of state-initiated land adjudications and the outcomes it produces. It also discusses the potential for alternative ways of mobilising customary land through hybrid systems of tenure