This report is part of the research programme “Cooperation on Research and Development in Angola” between Centro de Estudos e Investigação Científica (CEIC) at the Catholic University in Luanda, Angola and Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI) in Bergen, Norway. The objective of the programme is to increase the quality, quantity and availability of relevant research-based knowledge on Angola. The programme has several sub-projects in political science, economics and social science1. This report on rural poverty in Malanje is related to the social science sub-project “Urban and Rural Poverty Dynamics”, and will be followed by a similar report on urban poverty in Luanda (forthcoming 2017).

Africa’s economic growth is being driven by a burgeoning demographic shift and rapid urbanization trends. The continent’s population of 1.18 billion is projected to double by 2050, with the region urbanizing faster than any other in the world. This presents both an opportunity and a challenge for the continent. In many urban areas in developed countries, the housing sector has been at the forefront of stimulating economic growth. Increased agglomeration in African cities has the potential to create economies of scale and catalyze the structural transformation of African economies. However, the benefits of urbanization will materialize only if policymakers adopt effective urban policies to address urban infrastructure and severe housing deficits. This has not been the case in the past as lack of urban planning or effective implementation of policies has resulted in the proliferation of slums. Now the opportunity is there to provide effective solutions both affordable and sustainable taking into account the potential.

A primeira edição deste Manual foi realizada no âmbito do Projecto FAO GCP/
ANG/035/EC, em 2008. Em 2016 foi feita uma revisão e actualização do Manual, no âmbito do Projeto de Gestão de Terras no Planalto Central de Angola, implementado pelas ONGs Visão Mundial e Development Workshop e financiado pela União Europeia, e com apoio do Projecto RETESA da FAO (GCP/ANG/048/GEF) financiado pelo Fundo Global de Ambiente (GEF). Esta revisão visa facilitar o seu uso por parte dos técnicos que desempenham a função de facilitadores no processo de delimitação de terras das comunidades.