Multi-scale analysis of the opportunities and threats of large-scale land acquisitions (LaSLA) to the sustainable development of Sub-Saharan Africa (with a focus on Tanzania)
To examine what drives LaSLA, I used country level data from 2005 to 2013 on economic conditions, natural resources, business practices, and governance to estimate LaSLA models. I find that LaSLA increases with increasing government effectiveness, land prices, and the ease of doing business, and decreases with stronger regulatory regimes. To assess LaSLA's impacts on local people, I conducted a comparative case study in Tanzania. I compare changes in peoples' livelihood between treatment villages (those experiencing LaSLA) and control villages (those without LaSLA projects). The results show that under current practices, the risks of LaSLA outweigh the benefits to local livelihoods, yet there are potential benefits if LaSLA is implemented correctly.
To philosophically examine whether LaSLA can be considered just and ethical, I apply John Rawls' theory of justice. The analysis indicates that from both procedural and distributive justice perspective, LaSLA currently fails to satisfy Rawlsian principles of justice. From these analyses, I conclude that if implemented correctly, LaSLA can produce a win-win outcome for both investors and host countries. I suggest that strong governance, rigorous environmental and social impact assessment, and inclusion of local people at all levels of LaSLA decision making are critical for sustainable and equitable outcomes.
- Author (aut): Nkansah-Dwamena, Ernest
- Thesis advisor (ths): Kinzig, Ann
- Committee member: Minteer, Ben
- Committee member: Perrings, Charles
- Committee member: Gabagambi, Damian
- Committee member: Aggarwal, Rimjhim
- Publisher (pbl): Arizona State University