We’re pleased to share the Land Portal Foundation's 2018 Annual Report. The report demonstrates how we are working to create a vibrant information ecosystem on land that contributes to better informed decisions and policy making on land throughout the world. This report showcases our efforts improve documentation, mapping and monitoring of land governance issues, to promote, inform and enrich global debate on key land issues and to raise awareness on open data principles to strengthen the flow of land governance information at all levels.

As per the provisions of rule 10 of the rules of procedures of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of the Parties (COP), the second intersessional meeting of the Bureau of the thirteenth session of the COP (COP 13) held in Guiyang, China, on 26 February 2019, endorsed the inclusion of a new agenda item on land tenure, under new and emerging issues, for consideration at COP 14. The Bureau further requested the secretariat to submit a background document in that respect. 

The growing number of farmer-herder resource conflicts in Tanzania is often presented in official narratives as a product of climate change resulting from increased environmental pressures. Nonetheless, based on a qualitative research, this paper asserts that farmer- herder conflicts in Rufiji and Kisarawe districts should be understood in terms of the marginalization of pastoral community interests over access to land. This has created what Hall, Hirsch and Li [2013. Power of Exclusions: Lland Dilemmas in Southeast Asia.

Tetra Tech’s land tenure and property rights experts examine how weak land and resource governance can fuel drivers of violent extremism. With a focus on the African Sahel, this new issue brief finds this dynamic is especially prevalent when land and resource governance challenges are coupled with environmental disruptions, resource scarcity, or migration.

Sustainable Toursim Development Plan for the portion of the unique Lake Eyasi Valley landscape in northern Tanzania falling into Karatu District. The most significant attractions for the destination is the last remaining hunter and gatherer societies (Hadzabe) with their unique life style, together with the life style of Datoga pastoralists.

The publication is an informational pamphlet on the VGGT guide on improving the governance of pastoralist lands. The pamphlet is meant to be a tool for civil society to inform pastoralist communities regarding the VGGT and its applicability in securing their rights to resources. At the same time the pamphlet also speaks to local administrators regarding the principles enshrined in the VGGT. This audience is chosen to raise awareness regarding the VGGT as a country endorsed mechanism for securing land resources and livelihoods for pastoralist communities.

FAO is pleased to announce the e-learning course on “Sustainable Land Management and Land Restoration”, which has been developed in collaboration with CIHEAM-Bari, WOCAT, ELD and University of Leeds.

The case-study presents the case of the appropriation of pastoral lands by the coming of large-scale extractive industries in Turkana, Kenya. The case-study is meant to raise awareness among the general audience regarding the precarious situation of the pastoralists in the context of this new socio-economic development and lack of secure land tenure. At the same time, it provides this information as a case to local and global civil society, experts, institutions and policy makers.

This paper shares findings from new research on gender and land in a pastoralist community in central- western Mongolia, with a complex structure of investment and operations in gold mining. The paper examines what has been learned from the research about people's coping strategies in the face of social and environmental change, specifically in the context of the development of mining since the transition from socialism and in a relatively isolated area.