Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Rural Land Administration and Land Use Proclamation (No. 456/2005).

This Proclamation provides for a new system of administration for rural land management and use and for sustainable rural land use planning based on the different agro-ecological zones of the country necessary for the conservation and development of natural resources. This Proclamation shall apply to any rural land in Ethiopia, i.e. any land outside of a municipality holding or a town designated as such by the relevant law.
The Proclamation, among other things: provides rules relative to acquisition and use of rural land by peasant farmers or pastoralists, transfer of rural land use rights, distribution of rural land, obligations for land holder such as allowing construction of irrigation canals, resolution of disputes, and restrictions on the use of rural land. In regard to this latter the Proclamation, under Part 3, Art. 13 - Land Use Planning and Proper Use of Sloppy, Gully and Wetlands, establishes that the competent authority shall develop a land use master plan (taking into consideration soil type, land form, weather condition, plant cover, socio-economic conditions) and base it on a water shed approach; an equitable water use system shall be established between upper and lower water shed communities; and on the lands where soil and water conservation works have been undertaken a system of free grazing shall be prohibited and a system of cut and carry feeding shall be introduced step by step. The Article continues establishing that the biodiversity in rural wetland shall be conserved and utilized as necessary.