WHEREAS, it is confirmed in the Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia of that the right to ownership land is exclusively vested in the state and in the people

WHEREAS, it has become necessary to sustainably conserve and develop natural resources and pass over to the coming generation through the development and implementation of a sustainable rural land use planning based on the different agro-ecological zones of the country;

WHEREAS, it has become necessary to establish an information database that enables to identify the size, direction and use rights of ‘the different types of land holdings in the’ country such as· individual and federal and regional states holdings;

WHEREAS, it has become necessary to resolve problems that arise in connection with encouraging individual farmers, pastoralists and agricultural investors and establish a conducive system of rural land administration;

WHEREAS, it is deemed necessary to put in place legal conditions which are conducive to enhance and strengthen the land use right of farmers to encourage them to take the necessary conservation measures in areas where mixed farming of crop and animal production is prevalent and where there is threat of soil erosion and forest degradation;

WHEREAS, is has become necessary to establish a conducive system of rural land administration that promotes the conservation and management of natural resources, and encourages private investors in pastoralist areas where there is tribe based communal land holding system;

WHEREAS, Article 52 (2) (d) of the Constitution stipulates that the power entrusted to regions to administer land and natural resources is to be implemented in accordance with the law to be enacted by the federal state;

NOW, THEREFORE, in accordance with Article 55 (1) of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, it is hereby proclaimed as follows: