It is significant that for the first time land is specifically recognized as a constitutional category in the Draft Constitution Bill. This is important because it gives the issue of land the level of visibility that is always associated with constitutional matters, and unlike other ordinary legislation, a Constitution can only be amended by a special majority. The chapter that deals with land in the Draft Constitution Bill is Chapter Eleven under the title Land and Property.

The Kenya Land Alliance takes this opportunity to congratulate the Commission of Inquiry into the Land Law Systems of Kenya (‘Njonjo Commission’) for completing their task, which has painstakingly taken them three years. The KLA fraternity was pleased to hear the president’s remarks that the Njonjo report was a blueprint that would guide the future government in handling the delicate land issues efficiently and justly. Equally delighting was the Mr. Njonjo’s remark that wherever they went the wananchi expressed appreciation of their appointment to look into the land question.

Although The National Land Policy Formulation Process is concentrated on addressing land issues, the reform agenda requires inter- alia that there are policy directions for establishing an equitable framework for economic growth and access to natural resources. The natural resources in question include water, forests, minerals, mineral oils, wildlife, marine resources, fisheries, pastures, and wetlands.

The report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Illegal/Irregular Allocation of Public Land is finally out! Popularly known as the ‘Ndung’u’ Report, the publication of this three-volume document is important to the Kenya Land Alliance for two major reasons. Firstly, the appointment of the Coordinator of the Kenya Land Alliance to the Commission marked a threshold in the relations between KLA and the Government of Kenya.

The Kenya Land Alliance (KLA) is a focal point for information sharing and networking among those pressing for land reform in Kenya. It was formed in 1999 by members of civil society to propose reforms both to the Commission on the Review of Land Laws, appointed by the President, and the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission, appointed by Parliament. Over the last two years, the KLA has coordinated a programme of research on land issues in Kenya by member organisations

Throughout this pocket size booklet, Land Reform Volume 4, KLA proposes that collectively as a nation, and especially during this time of the constitutional review process. The principles outlined be embraced with the purpose of providing women a deliberate opportunity to engage in decision-making as regards land-use,management and ownership.

The Kenya Land Alliance (KLA) organized a two-day workshop in Machakos to brainstorm on important issues that should constitute the Land Reform Process. in addition, come up with a plan of action/activities to be undertaken by various stakeholders. Stakeholder representatives included civil society organizations and NGOs, relevant government departments, local authorities, academicians and lawyers. This report is a summary of issues deliberated.

Access to credit and its cost is a major challenge for farmers in developing countries. Several studies show that land serves as collateral for accessing formal credit, but they often do not find any significant effect of land size on access to informal credit. I study the effects of land ownership on both the demand and the cost of informal credit in the Mekong Delta. The results show that as land ownership increases, both the demand and the cost of informal loans decrease.

ABSTRACTED FROM CONTEXT SECTION: A study was commissioned by the Mekong Region Land Governance Project (MRLG) to investigate the origins and the implications of implementing the 70 percent forestland policy, and to outline policy considerations. This discussion note aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the origin, rationale, geography and tenure implications of the 70 percent policies.

WEB INTRODUCTION: The literature on agricultural large-scale land acquisition in Myanmar is rather fragmented and consists mainly of case studies. While these provide key insights into particular stories, they often fail to identify the main patterns and trends at country level. To fill such gaps, this thematic study aims to present an updated synthesis of the genealogy, institutional complexity and the ins and outs of large-scale land acquisition processes for agricultural development in Myanmar.

ABSTRACTED FROM WEBSITE: What is happening with the land and natural wealth around the world, and to the people who depend on them? How are people responding to these trends, threats, and challenges?

ABSTRACTED FROM SUMMARY: Disputes over land remain one of the central challenges in Myanmar’s evolving reform process. Land confiscations and forced evictions were a major feature of decades of military rule and internal armed conflict. Small farmers bore the brunt as government officials, military commanders, and their cronies seized land for personal and institutional enrichment; authorities promoted development plans without regard for those affected; and the military and ethnic armed groups took advantage of fighting and displacement to grab vast swathes of territory.