In this What to Read digest, we review four recent articles that focus on how rural communities in the Global South are dealing with climate disasters, including cases from Bangladesh, Colombia, and India.
Join us for a thought-provoking webinar that explores the challenges and future directions to scale Fit-For-Purpose Land Administration (FFPLA) based on on-the-ground experiences. FFPLA approaches are broadly recognized and applauded for being more affordable, faster and flexible (in terms of spatial identification) than conventional land administration methods.
A new publication titled "The Role of Metadata and Open Data in the Innovation Cycle of Land Administration" puts the spotlight on this dynamic domain. This publication offers valuable insights into the significance of open data and structured metadata, and how they can revolutionize land administration processes worldwide. By delving into the core principles of open data and metadata, this publication offers a comprehensive understanding of how these tools can be leveraged to foster innovation and drive positive change in the land governance sector.
Linking open data for land rights
700+ indicators
Statistical data aggregated from trusted providers
66,000+ resources
Searchable library of open access publications
Countries
Located in Central Africa, Gabon has some rather unique characteristics in terms of land tenure. It is indeed one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world, one of the most urbanized and one of the richest in forests. Gabon's economy is mainly based on the exploitation of natural resources, notably oil, mining and timber. These activities occupy the vast majority of the territory. In 2022, Gabon was the most prosperous country in Africa with a high human development index.
Mexico is characterized by decentralized land governance. Most of the population lives in urban areas, although highly concentrated in a few cities, and about 21% live in rural areas. The ejidos and agrarian communities-both forms of communal land ownership-that emerged from the Mexican Revolution continue to significantly shape land governance in Mexico today.
Issues
One third of the world’s soils - including farmland, forests, rangelands, and urban land - are already degraded and it is estimated that this number could rise to almost 90% by 2050. Land Degradation occurs naturally, but research shows that land degradation is increasingly caused directly or indirectly by unsustainable human activities, notably deforestation, overgrazing, mining or intensive agriculture. This has driven biodiversity loss, desertification, and led to a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
The SDG Land Tracker provides easy access to official data and information on all land-specific SDG indicators. It concisely explains the indicators, why they are important, and tracks progress.




















