Durant l’Année internationale de la montagne en 2002, la FAO et ses partenaires ont lancé une évaluation à grande échelle et un examen mondial de l’état actuel et des tendances futures de l’aménagement intégré et participatif des bassins versants. Les objectifs généraux étaient de promouvoir l’échange et la diffusion d’expériences dans la mise en œuvre de ces projets durant la décennie 1990–2000, et d’aider à identifier une vision pour une nouvelle génération de programmes et projets.

The present issue of Nature & Faune looks at the theme “Promoting good governance in natural resource management in Africa”. It is made up of some 17 articles, a good number of which dwell on structures and processes. They describe and analyse how projects and programs were designed and how committees etc. were composed; how transparent the governance is, whether adequately decentralized or participatory etc.

This course aims to provide guidance to government authorities engaged in investment promotion, approval, and monitoring activities at all stages of the agricultural land-based investment cycle. Based on the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure for Land, Fisheries and Forests, the course provides technical guidance on how to safeguard tenure rights, human rights, food security and the environment in the context of such investments.

The articles in this volume supplement FAO Land Tenure Studies 10, Compulsory acquisition of land and compensation. The latter publication explains what compulsory acquisition and compensation are and what constitutes good practice in this area. This current volumes introductory article provides an overview of these issues. The issue of compulsory acquisition from a human rights perspective is also addressed here as are the concepts of market value, compensation value and just terms compensation.

Este manual de formación se centra en cómo gestionar y resolver conflictos sobre los derechos de tenencia de la tierra, la seguridad de la tenencia y el acceso a la tierra en el campo del desarrollo rural. Resulta de las actividades complementarias realizadas con el Programa de apoyo a los medios de vida, de la FAO, (LSP) y la Unidad de Gestión y Tenencia de la Tierra y con la Coalición Internacional para el Acceso a la Tierra.

El objetivo de este documento normativo es proporcionar a la FAO un marco para orientar su labor sobre cuestiones relativas a los pueblos indígenas. Las actividades actuales, que no siguen una estrategia sistemática en relación con estos asuntos, se beneficiarán considerablemente de la definición de una dirección y un enfoque comunes. Al mismo tiempo, también es importante para los mismos pueblos indígenas, ayudar a comunicar y clarificar lo que éstas pueden esperar razonablemente de la Organización.

Throughout its history, Mozambique has had to deal with cyclones and floods, and when these are severe they have a devastating impact. Apart from the immediate threat to human life, such natural disasters seriously impede economic growth. There is no doubt that the Limpopo valley floods in 2000 were one of the worst flood disasters in Mozambique’s history. At least 700 people died, and some 500,000 to 650,000 were displaced and temporarily sheltered in over 100 camps set up by the government.

Les Directives volontaires pour la gouvernance responsable des terres, des pêches et des forêts dans le contexte de la sécurité alimentaire nationale reconnaissent que des investissements responsables des secteurs public et privé sont essentiels pour améliorer la sécurité alimentaire et appellent à des investissements qui protègent les usagers et les propriétaires fonciers contre la dépossession des droits fonciers légitimes.

The Eastern and Anglophone Western Africa Regional Assessment meeting was organized by a task force consisting of FAO, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, African Land Policy Initiative, the United Nations World Food Programme, United Nations Development Programme, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme officials in Ethiopia.

The Mozambique land law provides statutory recognition of customary land rights and is considered one of the most progressive legislations in Africa. However, the law continues to face implementation challenges, including the realization of equal rights for women and institutional reform. Simply having a progressive law ‘is not enough’ to bring about transformative change in a country.