Sophia Kongela - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Sophia Kongela
Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law
Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of participatory governance to actors’ participation ... more Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of participatory governance to actors’ participation in land use planning for tenure security in rural Tanzania. Three case studies where land use planning project implemented were selected to make assessment on how local actors were involved in the process. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses qualitative research methods, whereby semi-structured interviews with village landholders and key informants were conducted to get their perspectives on land use decisions and land tenure (in)security. Besides, focus group discussions with the village landholders were also used. Findings The research findings indicate low participation of local actors in land use planning process. Decisions on land use by the local actors were very minimal. Further, communication between the involved actors was also difficult. Originality/value The study offers insights on participatory governance into land use planning for tenure security. The study develops...
25th Annual European Real Estate Society Conference, 2016
In the wake of rapid urbanisation and increasing demand for agricultural land, both urban and rur... more In the wake of rapid urbanisation and increasing demand for agricultural land, both urban and rural land markets in many African countries have attracted speculative practices. Many people are engaged in buying land aiming at reselling it profitably at some future dates. This is done hoping that land values will keep on appreciating, which is supported by historical trends. In many African countries land has been regarded to have no or little monetary value until recently when land is increasingly being put to commercial use. Speculative prices have sometimes inhibited land based investments. Using the cases of Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, this study reviews institutional approaches employed in the selected countries to deal with land speculation. The three countries are among the rapidly urbanising countries in Africa which are also attracting large scale investment in agriculture. The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of land speculation control techniques in emerging African land markets.The study entailed obtaining and critically reviewing policies, laws and regulations used in the selected countries in dealing with land speculation. Interviews with key informants were used to collect and validate data obtained from literature. Analyses for the different countries were compared and contrasted to draw lessons for effective mechanisms of mitigating land speculation. The study also involved comparing the practice in the selected countries against the international best practice.Results show more similarities than differences for the three countries in terms of ineffectiveness in dealing with land speculation and the resulting negative impacts. All countries have weak institutional environments governing land market operations. It was alarmingly noted that some large tracts of land held on speculative motives or those which were acquired on speculative prices were used as collateral for commercial bank loans, which potentially threatened the stability and sustainability of the countries’ financial systems. It was also clear that landlessness was looming. Noteworthy was also the fact that speculative land prices triggered urban sprawl. This study contributes to literature on improving land management practices in emerging land markets, especially in the wake of rapid urbanisation and fears of rural land grabbing and food insecurity.
Scaring revelations about global climate change and its effects have necessitated adoption of sus... more Scaring revelations about global climate change and its effects have necessitated adoption of sustainable approaches in most of the human activities. Property development is one of the activities which are increasingly embracing sustainable technologies. Sustainability in property development, sometimes referred to as green building, is rapidly gaining attention worldwide. It is however true that some parts of the world have not accomplished much on the ground. Tanzania is one of the countries in which evidence of concerted efforts towards green building can hardly be seen. Although green building entails extra initial costs, its long term benefits far outweigh the costs. Besides, some countries like Tanzania are endowed with most of the natural resources needed for green building. For instance, Tanzania has abundant sources of wind energy, solar energy, bio energy and hydro energy. Availability of a variety of local construction materials and cheap labour is another clear opportuni...
Habitat International, 2011
This paper examines the negative impact of land acquisition programmes on the indigenous communit... more This paper examines the negative impact of land acquisition programmes on the indigenous communities' livelihood and environment. The paper presents the key findings of a study which was carried out in Morogoro Municipality in Tanzania. The study was carried out in four wards covering the peripheries of Morogoro Municipality and some sections of Uluguru Mountains forest reserve. A combination of Participatory Urban Appraisal (PUA) techniques and direct researchers' observations were used to collect primary data for the study. Published and grey literature was the main source of secondary data. Findings show that land acquisition programmes in the study area have a negative impact on the livelihood of indigenous people and the environment. Some of the problems noted include loss of land, loss of means of livelihood, disruption of economic activities, persistent land-related conflicts, and relocations to poorly developed areas, inadequate and late compensation, and environmental degradation. Disagreement over the implementation of the provisions of the land acquisition legislation was noted to be one of the main sources of land acquisition related disputes. Low level of education and ignorance of the law by the majority of the indigenous people was another cause of land-related disputes. To address the problems, the paper advances some recommendations. These include the carrying out of adequate consultation and sensitization prior to land acquisition exercises, payment of full, fair and prompt compensation to the affected people, promoting conservation agriculture on the mountain slopes, strengthening awareness programmes on the land laws and policies, and improving ordinary people's access to formal institutions responsible for the provision of justice.
Comprehensive sustainability education is paramount for success in the adoption of sustainable pr... more Comprehensive sustainability education is paramount for success in the adoption of sustainable practices in the built environment. It is however a fact that sustainability education is generally accorded marginal importance in the curricula of higher learning institutions in the developing countries. Drawing evidence from Tanzania, this study looks at the challenges of introducing sustainability aspects in the curricula of the built environment courses offered by higher learning institutions. The study entailed a critical review of curricula of the various higher learning institutions offering courses in the built environment discipline. In addition, a questionnaire was administered to some researchers and heads of selected academic units of the higher learning institutions. The findings reveal that, sustainability education in Tanzania is more popular with courses related to natural resource management and agriculture, rather than those related to the built environment. There are n...
JOURNAL OF AFRICAN REAL ESTATE RESEARCH, 2021
Laws in Tanzania allow married couples joint ownership of land but in practice single land titlin... more Laws in Tanzania allow married couples joint ownership of land but in practice single land titling in the husband’s name only is most common. The ability to co-title was expected to attract couples to own their matrimonial properties jointly; however, the rate at which spouses are adopting co-titling remains low. This paper assesses the desirability of co-titling in land ownership among spouses using key informant interviews and a survey of couples. It is based on a case study of Makongo Juu settlement in Dar es Salaam City where a regularisation programme was implemented. The paper reveals a number of benefits as well as constraints of co-titling for married couples. Findings show that a majority of female spouses had little awareness of the existence of co-titling arrangements. Whereas a majority of female spouses showed interest in co-titling of their matrimonial properties, male spouses were hesitant and, in some cases, they even denied their spouses rights to matrimonial land o...
International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 2021
Purpose Sustainability in the built environment is rapidly gaining attention worldwide, although ... more Purpose Sustainability in the built environment is rapidly gaining attention worldwide, although many developing countries have not accomplished much on the ground as many sustainability aspects still remain untreated. Despite their low greenhouse gas contributions to the globe, the high rate of construction activities that do not embrace sustainable practices in these countries pose challenges to the environment. Using the case of Tanzania, this study assesses the level of sustainability awareness among key stakeholders in the built environment. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a mixed-method research approach where primary data was collected using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with key informants comprising engineers, architects, property managers, property owners, property users and academicians from institutions of higher learning. Findings Results show that despite the potential for a sustainable built environment, there is a low level of awareness am...
Gender gap in ownership of agricultural land is still wide in many developing countries, mainly i... more Gender gap in ownership of agricultural land is still wide in many developing countries, mainly in favour of men. In some of these countries, both patrilineal and matrilineal systems are practised and recognized by governments. Tanzania is one of the countries in which both systems are practised. This paper explores the extent of gender equality in ownership of agricultural land in Kisarawe and Mkuranga districts which are typical rural agricultural settings and mainly matrilineal societies in Tanzania. It also attempts to examine women’s benefits from agricultural activities. Respondents were randomly selected from village registers of the six villages studied. The findings contradict the conventional narratives of gender inequality that women are discriminated in land ownership. Despite insignificant percentage of societies which embrace matrilineal system in Tanzania, to a large extent the system seems to support women in owning land in those societies. However, a few elements of...
Proceedings of the 17th Annual European Real Estate Society Conference - Milan, Italy, 2010
Comprehensive sustainability education is paramount for success in the adoption of sustainable pr... more Comprehensive sustainability education is paramount for success in the adoption of sustainable practices in the built environment. It is however a fact that sustainability education is generally accorded marginal importance in the curricula of higher learning institutions in the developing countries. Drawing evidence from Tanzania, this study looks at the challenges of introducing sustainability aspects in the curricula of the built environment courses offered by higher learning institutions. The study entailed a critical review of curricula of the various higher learning institutions offering courses in the built environment discipline. In addition, a questionnaire was administered to some researchers and heads of selected academic units of the higher learning institutions. The findings reveal that, sustainability education in Tanzania is more popular with courses related to natural resource management and agriculture, rather than those related to the built environment. There are no higher learning institutions which offer courses with comprehensive treatment of sustainability aspects in buildings. With the present curricula, it is clear that students in the built environment courses complete their studies without the necessary knowledge of sustainability. Lack of commanding knowledge and skills on contemporary sustainability aspects in buildings amongst academicians, lack of reading and teaching materials, bureaucratic curricula review process, misconceptions of sustainability concepts and budgetary constraints are some of the main reasons noted to be posing a challenge in incorporating sustainability in the built environment courses curricula. Lack of coordination between experts in different components of sustainability between and within institutions is another main reason for not incorporating sustainability in the curricula. Identification of the key aspects to be included in the curricula which fit the Tanzanian settings and which emanate from within and across disciplines is a prerequisite to the success of education for sustainability in the built environment.
Proceedings of the 19th Annual European Real Estate Society Conference - Edinburgh, Scotland, 2012
Die englischsprachige Dissertation von Dr. Sophia Marcian Kongela untersucht den derzeit noch unt... more Die englischsprachige Dissertation von Dr. Sophia Marcian Kongela untersucht den derzeit noch unterentwickelten Immobilienmarkt in Tansania. Die Studie stellt verschiedene Strategien vor, die die Wettbewerbsfahigkeit und das Wachstum des Immobiliensektors verbessern konnen. Sie analysiert die Rahmenbedingungen fur die Entwicklung von lokalen Immobilienmarkten und erarbeitet Handlungsempfehlungen fur eine bessere Wachstumsentwicklung. So tritt eine Reihe von Hindernissen zutage, die wesentlich fur das geringe Wachstum des Immobiliensektors in Tansania verantwortlich sind. Die Autorin benennt unter anderem die Ineffizienz von Institutionen, die sich mit Immobilienaktivitaten befassen, als entscheidenden Abschreckungsfaktor fur Immobilienentwicklungen und -investitionen. Zudem scheinen auslandische Marktteilnehmer im Vergleich zu lokalen Marktakteuren mit zusatzlichen Herausforderungen konfrontiert zu sein. Insbesondere ist die Unfahigkeit des Marktes, Werttreiber zu nutzen und Wettbewerbsvorteile zu schaffen, fur das schleppende Wachstum des Immobiliensektors verantwortlich. Folgende Kriterien identifiziert Dr. Kongela als wichtige Konjunkturindikatoren aus, die jedoch nicht ausreichen, um den Immobilienmarkt in Tansania wettbewerbsfahig zu machen: ausreichend Landflache, Anstieg der Nachfrage nach Immobilien, politische Stabilitat, Prasenz vom Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) sowie vom TIC initiierte Investitionsanreize fur den Immobiliensektor, institutionelle Reformen und verbesserte wirtschaftliche Kennzahlen. Dies bedeutet, dass die Schwachen des Immobilienmarktes zukunftig direkt mit einbezogen werden mussen. Denn das volle Potenzial des Immobiliensektors lasst sich nur uber die Abstimmung der Investitionsziele und der Bewegrunde von Immobilienentwicklern und -investoren mit den Determinanten der Wettbewerbsfahigkeit realisieren.
Journal of Property, Planning and Environmental Law
Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of participatory governance to actors’ participation ... more Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of participatory governance to actors’ participation in land use planning for tenure security in rural Tanzania. Three case studies where land use planning project implemented were selected to make assessment on how local actors were involved in the process. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses qualitative research methods, whereby semi-structured interviews with village landholders and key informants were conducted to get their perspectives on land use decisions and land tenure (in)security. Besides, focus group discussions with the village landholders were also used. Findings The research findings indicate low participation of local actors in land use planning process. Decisions on land use by the local actors were very minimal. Further, communication between the involved actors was also difficult. Originality/value The study offers insights on participatory governance into land use planning for tenure security. The study develops...
25th Annual European Real Estate Society Conference, 2016
In the wake of rapid urbanisation and increasing demand for agricultural land, both urban and rur... more In the wake of rapid urbanisation and increasing demand for agricultural land, both urban and rural land markets in many African countries have attracted speculative practices. Many people are engaged in buying land aiming at reselling it profitably at some future dates. This is done hoping that land values will keep on appreciating, which is supported by historical trends. In many African countries land has been regarded to have no or little monetary value until recently when land is increasingly being put to commercial use. Speculative prices have sometimes inhibited land based investments. Using the cases of Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia, this study reviews institutional approaches employed in the selected countries to deal with land speculation. The three countries are among the rapidly urbanising countries in Africa which are also attracting large scale investment in agriculture. The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of land speculation control techniques in emerging African land markets.The study entailed obtaining and critically reviewing policies, laws and regulations used in the selected countries in dealing with land speculation. Interviews with key informants were used to collect and validate data obtained from literature. Analyses for the different countries were compared and contrasted to draw lessons for effective mechanisms of mitigating land speculation. The study also involved comparing the practice in the selected countries against the international best practice.Results show more similarities than differences for the three countries in terms of ineffectiveness in dealing with land speculation and the resulting negative impacts. All countries have weak institutional environments governing land market operations. It was alarmingly noted that some large tracts of land held on speculative motives or those which were acquired on speculative prices were used as collateral for commercial bank loans, which potentially threatened the stability and sustainability of the countries’ financial systems. It was also clear that landlessness was looming. Noteworthy was also the fact that speculative land prices triggered urban sprawl. This study contributes to literature on improving land management practices in emerging land markets, especially in the wake of rapid urbanisation and fears of rural land grabbing and food insecurity.
Scaring revelations about global climate change and its effects have necessitated adoption of sus... more Scaring revelations about global climate change and its effects have necessitated adoption of sustainable approaches in most of the human activities. Property development is one of the activities which are increasingly embracing sustainable technologies. Sustainability in property development, sometimes referred to as green building, is rapidly gaining attention worldwide. It is however true that some parts of the world have not accomplished much on the ground. Tanzania is one of the countries in which evidence of concerted efforts towards green building can hardly be seen. Although green building entails extra initial costs, its long term benefits far outweigh the costs. Besides, some countries like Tanzania are endowed with most of the natural resources needed for green building. For instance, Tanzania has abundant sources of wind energy, solar energy, bio energy and hydro energy. Availability of a variety of local construction materials and cheap labour is another clear opportuni...
Habitat International, 2011
This paper examines the negative impact of land acquisition programmes on the indigenous communit... more This paper examines the negative impact of land acquisition programmes on the indigenous communities' livelihood and environment. The paper presents the key findings of a study which was carried out in Morogoro Municipality in Tanzania. The study was carried out in four wards covering the peripheries of Morogoro Municipality and some sections of Uluguru Mountains forest reserve. A combination of Participatory Urban Appraisal (PUA) techniques and direct researchers' observations were used to collect primary data for the study. Published and grey literature was the main source of secondary data. Findings show that land acquisition programmes in the study area have a negative impact on the livelihood of indigenous people and the environment. Some of the problems noted include loss of land, loss of means of livelihood, disruption of economic activities, persistent land-related conflicts, and relocations to poorly developed areas, inadequate and late compensation, and environmental degradation. Disagreement over the implementation of the provisions of the land acquisition legislation was noted to be one of the main sources of land acquisition related disputes. Low level of education and ignorance of the law by the majority of the indigenous people was another cause of land-related disputes. To address the problems, the paper advances some recommendations. These include the carrying out of adequate consultation and sensitization prior to land acquisition exercises, payment of full, fair and prompt compensation to the affected people, promoting conservation agriculture on the mountain slopes, strengthening awareness programmes on the land laws and policies, and improving ordinary people's access to formal institutions responsible for the provision of justice.
Comprehensive sustainability education is paramount for success in the adoption of sustainable pr... more Comprehensive sustainability education is paramount for success in the adoption of sustainable practices in the built environment. It is however a fact that sustainability education is generally accorded marginal importance in the curricula of higher learning institutions in the developing countries. Drawing evidence from Tanzania, this study looks at the challenges of introducing sustainability aspects in the curricula of the built environment courses offered by higher learning institutions. The study entailed a critical review of curricula of the various higher learning institutions offering courses in the built environment discipline. In addition, a questionnaire was administered to some researchers and heads of selected academic units of the higher learning institutions. The findings reveal that, sustainability education in Tanzania is more popular with courses related to natural resource management and agriculture, rather than those related to the built environment. There are n...
JOURNAL OF AFRICAN REAL ESTATE RESEARCH, 2021
Laws in Tanzania allow married couples joint ownership of land but in practice single land titlin... more Laws in Tanzania allow married couples joint ownership of land but in practice single land titling in the husband’s name only is most common. The ability to co-title was expected to attract couples to own their matrimonial properties jointly; however, the rate at which spouses are adopting co-titling remains low. This paper assesses the desirability of co-titling in land ownership among spouses using key informant interviews and a survey of couples. It is based on a case study of Makongo Juu settlement in Dar es Salaam City where a regularisation programme was implemented. The paper reveals a number of benefits as well as constraints of co-titling for married couples. Findings show that a majority of female spouses had little awareness of the existence of co-titling arrangements. Whereas a majority of female spouses showed interest in co-titling of their matrimonial properties, male spouses were hesitant and, in some cases, they even denied their spouses rights to matrimonial land o...
International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, 2021
Purpose Sustainability in the built environment is rapidly gaining attention worldwide, although ... more Purpose Sustainability in the built environment is rapidly gaining attention worldwide, although many developing countries have not accomplished much on the ground as many sustainability aspects still remain untreated. Despite their low greenhouse gas contributions to the globe, the high rate of construction activities that do not embrace sustainable practices in these countries pose challenges to the environment. Using the case of Tanzania, this study assesses the level of sustainability awareness among key stakeholders in the built environment. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a mixed-method research approach where primary data was collected using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with key informants comprising engineers, architects, property managers, property owners, property users and academicians from institutions of higher learning. Findings Results show that despite the potential for a sustainable built environment, there is a low level of awareness am...
Gender gap in ownership of agricultural land is still wide in many developing countries, mainly i... more Gender gap in ownership of agricultural land is still wide in many developing countries, mainly in favour of men. In some of these countries, both patrilineal and matrilineal systems are practised and recognized by governments. Tanzania is one of the countries in which both systems are practised. This paper explores the extent of gender equality in ownership of agricultural land in Kisarawe and Mkuranga districts which are typical rural agricultural settings and mainly matrilineal societies in Tanzania. It also attempts to examine women’s benefits from agricultural activities. Respondents were randomly selected from village registers of the six villages studied. The findings contradict the conventional narratives of gender inequality that women are discriminated in land ownership. Despite insignificant percentage of societies which embrace matrilineal system in Tanzania, to a large extent the system seems to support women in owning land in those societies. However, a few elements of...
Proceedings of the 17th Annual European Real Estate Society Conference - Milan, Italy, 2010
Comprehensive sustainability education is paramount for success in the adoption of sustainable pr... more Comprehensive sustainability education is paramount for success in the adoption of sustainable practices in the built environment. It is however a fact that sustainability education is generally accorded marginal importance in the curricula of higher learning institutions in the developing countries. Drawing evidence from Tanzania, this study looks at the challenges of introducing sustainability aspects in the curricula of the built environment courses offered by higher learning institutions. The study entailed a critical review of curricula of the various higher learning institutions offering courses in the built environment discipline. In addition, a questionnaire was administered to some researchers and heads of selected academic units of the higher learning institutions. The findings reveal that, sustainability education in Tanzania is more popular with courses related to natural resource management and agriculture, rather than those related to the built environment. There are no higher learning institutions which offer courses with comprehensive treatment of sustainability aspects in buildings. With the present curricula, it is clear that students in the built environment courses complete their studies without the necessary knowledge of sustainability. Lack of commanding knowledge and skills on contemporary sustainability aspects in buildings amongst academicians, lack of reading and teaching materials, bureaucratic curricula review process, misconceptions of sustainability concepts and budgetary constraints are some of the main reasons noted to be posing a challenge in incorporating sustainability in the built environment courses curricula. Lack of coordination between experts in different components of sustainability between and within institutions is another main reason for not incorporating sustainability in the curricula. Identification of the key aspects to be included in the curricula which fit the Tanzanian settings and which emanate from within and across disciplines is a prerequisite to the success of education for sustainability in the built environment.
Proceedings of the 19th Annual European Real Estate Society Conference - Edinburgh, Scotland, 2012
Die englischsprachige Dissertation von Dr. Sophia Marcian Kongela untersucht den derzeit noch unt... more Die englischsprachige Dissertation von Dr. Sophia Marcian Kongela untersucht den derzeit noch unterentwickelten Immobilienmarkt in Tansania. Die Studie stellt verschiedene Strategien vor, die die Wettbewerbsfahigkeit und das Wachstum des Immobiliensektors verbessern konnen. Sie analysiert die Rahmenbedingungen fur die Entwicklung von lokalen Immobilienmarkten und erarbeitet Handlungsempfehlungen fur eine bessere Wachstumsentwicklung. So tritt eine Reihe von Hindernissen zutage, die wesentlich fur das geringe Wachstum des Immobiliensektors in Tansania verantwortlich sind. Die Autorin benennt unter anderem die Ineffizienz von Institutionen, die sich mit Immobilienaktivitaten befassen, als entscheidenden Abschreckungsfaktor fur Immobilienentwicklungen und -investitionen. Zudem scheinen auslandische Marktteilnehmer im Vergleich zu lokalen Marktakteuren mit zusatzlichen Herausforderungen konfrontiert zu sein. Insbesondere ist die Unfahigkeit des Marktes, Werttreiber zu nutzen und Wettbewerbsvorteile zu schaffen, fur das schleppende Wachstum des Immobiliensektors verantwortlich. Folgende Kriterien identifiziert Dr. Kongela als wichtige Konjunkturindikatoren aus, die jedoch nicht ausreichen, um den Immobilienmarkt in Tansania wettbewerbsfahig zu machen: ausreichend Landflache, Anstieg der Nachfrage nach Immobilien, politische Stabilitat, Prasenz vom Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) sowie vom TIC initiierte Investitionsanreize fur den Immobiliensektor, institutionelle Reformen und verbesserte wirtschaftliche Kennzahlen. Dies bedeutet, dass die Schwachen des Immobilienmarktes zukunftig direkt mit einbezogen werden mussen. Denn das volle Potenzial des Immobiliensektors lasst sich nur uber die Abstimmung der Investitionsziele und der Bewegrunde von Immobilienentwicklern und -investoren mit den Determinanten der Wettbewerbsfahigkeit realisieren.