2.0 INRODUCTIONHaving defined the aims, objectives and research questions in the first chapter, this chapter focuses on reviewing the available literature on the subject of regularization of land tenure and its effects on real estate investment in different parts of the country. the world with specific reference to cities. The focus of this chapter is to analyze the link between land tenure regularization and housing investment in informal settlements. Emphasis is also placed on securing land rights in informal settlements, as it is widely accepted that regularization of rights in informal settlements leads to (increased) access to formal finance, which then encourages investment in housing (Chome and McCall, 2005). The chapter begins with a contextual definition of key terms and is then followed by an overall documentation of the impact of land regularization in informal settlements, focusing on the experiences of selected countries. Since the objective of the research is to study the effect of land tenure regularization on investment in informal housing and the Zambian local authorities and government intend to regularize informal settlements, the Lessons learned from the case study countries will be noted, after which the chapter will be concluded in section 2.6 by means of a summary.2.1 CONTEXTUAL DEFINITIONS2.1.1 INFORMAL SETTLEMENTMany synonyms have been used in the literature to refer to informal settlements . These include spontaneous, irregular, unplanned, marginal and squatter settlements. Some publications have used the terms slums and informal settlements interchangeably (UNHSP, 2003). Although a clear definition of informal settlements is still difficult to find (ibid), some organizations have given descriptions of informal settlements....... middle of document...... review of tax rates and many others. To secure land tenure for informal urban settlers, different countries have introduced licenses or certificates with different names. But they all pursue the same goals. For example, in Zambia, residents receive a 30-year occupation permit while the area is being upgraded. These can then be replaced by certificates of title, which have the same effect as if the landowner obtained a direct lease of the land from the state (UN-Habitat, 2012). In Botswana, a certificate of use is issued to informal residents to encourage them to invest more in housing (Durand-Lasserve, 2006). In Brazil, the concession of the real right of use is issued to residents. The validity period of these licenses varies between 30 and 50 years but is subject to renewal (Van der Molen, 2002).