This publication provides an overview of the theory and practice of urban innovation together with perspectives, trends and international experiences in this area. The publication seeks to stimulate debate and creative thinking around different approaches to dealing with every day urban challenges by presenting a collection of potetnially replicable local and international case studies.

Money from pension funds has fuelled the financial sector’s massive move into farmland investing over the past decade. The number of pension funds involved in farmland investment and the amount of money they are deploying into it is increasing;under the radar. This unprecedented take-over of farmland by financial companies has major implications for rural communities and food systems;and must be challenged. Leaving it to the companies to police themselves with their own voluntary guidelines is a recipe for disaster.

Here below is a summary of main points and highlights from the study, hoping it will be useful for colleagues that do or do not consider urban dynamics as important and encourage them to integrate some reflections in order to better steer a development program or adapt it. A lot of what is below is relevant to many contexts and some of it is obviously more specific to the Lao PDR. I believe this study is a milestone for adapting programming in the coming four years during this current Mekong Region Strategy 2018‐2021 and paving way for the elaboration of the new strategy.

Rural-based economic activity can be just as effective for poverty reduction as that of urban sectors. Since the 1990s, rural transformation has lifted nearly as many people out of poverty as urban development. Many more will be able to climb out of poverty if greater priority is given to public investments in rural areas.

Este documento preparado por la Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL) en cooperación con el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para los Asentamientos Humanos (ONU-Hábitat) y el Foro de Ministros y Máximas Autoridades del Sector de la Vivienda y el Urbanismo de América Latina y el Caribe (MINURVI) en el marco de la colaboración para la implementación de la Nueva Agenda Urbana en la región de América Latina y el Caribe, propone la construcción de una Plataforma Urbana y de Ciudades de América Latina y el Caribe como un instrumento para facilitar el seguimiento y monitoreo de

This document, prepared by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), in cooperation with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Forum of Ministers and High-Level Authorities on Housing and Urban Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (MINURVI), within the collaborative framework for the implementation of the New Urban Agenda in the Latin American and Caribbean region, presents a proposal for the development of the Latin American and Caribbean Urban and Cities

Oil palm investments are returning from Southeast Asia to West Africa, where the crop originated. As this interest intensifies, land conflicts are likely to become more prevalent. Our research shows that such disputes can treble the cost of cultivation and cause year-long delays. Despite this, many companies do not mitigate tenure risk because they lack the data and tools necessary to understand their risk exposure and take action.

Land disputes associated with Africa sugar often lead to long and costly delays. Our research finds 46% of disputes last over 10 years – and half of these are still unresolved today. In serious cases, disputes close projects down and severely reduce market access. Companies are failing to mitigate these serious risks because they lack the tools and data to make the business case for action.

In June 2018;the President of Burkina Faso enacted a new agriculture investment code;aiming at promoting productive investments in livestock;fisheries;forestry and fauna management. It establishes an enabling environment and creates incentives to boost investment in the targeted sectors. Despite some shortcomings that can be fixed through implementation;the code is an important step in the right direction to attract responsible investment.

Report provides an alternate response to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s request to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) to analyse impacts of warming to 1.5°C and related greenhouse gas emission pathways. Covers strengthening indigenous and community land rights;restoring forests and other ecosystems;and transforming agriculture. Confines solution pathways to low-risk land-sector approaches that protect;restore and sustainably manage natural ecosystems;while respecting human rights.

The region of Karamoja, located in the northeast of Uganda, is the poorest and least developed region in the country. Historically, Karamoja has been a pastoral area; crop production, which is less reliable there, has recently emerged as an important source of household food and income in some areas. Although Karamoja bears similarities to other pastoral regions in East Africa, few of its households are self-sufficient in terms of food and most rely on barter trading for much of their staple foods.

This work aims to provide a comprehensive, wall-to-wall analysis of land use/cover changes in the continental areas of Portugal and Spain between 1990 and 2012. This overall objective is developed into two main research questions: (1) Whether differences between the extent and prevalence of changes exist between both countries and (2) which are the hotspots of change (areas where a given land use/cover transition dominates the landscape) in each country.