This BMZ comissioned report by GTZ highlights the dramatic increase of land concessions and rising inequality in land distribution in Cambodia. Parts of the study refer to an earlier report by Uch Sophas “Foreign Direct Investment in Land for Biomass Production in Cambodia”. The South-East Asian country Cambodia has an area of 181,035 km2. The Government of Cambodia is adapting its activities to attract FDI, which has lead to a steady increase especially since 2007.

Wars and their aftermaths frequently transform land use and ownership, reshaping 'post-conflict' landscapes through new boundaries, population movements, land reforms and conditions of access. Within a global context of controversial land concessions and farmland acquisitions, we bring to light the continued salience of historical memories of war in the ways land conflicts are being negotiated in Laos.

This expanded edition presents regional and country perspectives on access to land for the rural poor from the eight countries-Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka. It makes assessments of land reforms and their implementation, and the legal frameworks and conditions necessary to advance land rights. The publication also examines the changing roles of government, the private sector, NGOs and civil society in influencing agrarian reform and sustainable development for the rural poor.

The young man was scared. The city government had instructed him to count the shacks in the settlement. He arrived smartly dressed carrying a briefcase and clipboard with pen in hand and a list of the shacks. His job was to find any new shacks without the official number painted on the door. But he immediately ran into problems. The local residents confronted him, asking what he was doing. Soon a small crowd had gathered. They took him into the community hall, where a meeting was under way. He explained that the city had sent him, but the local people were suspicious.

This report provides an overview of the achievements and learning from the Phase 1 of the Tenure Security Learning Initiative - East & Southern Africa (TSLI-ESA) Project. It also looks ahead to strategies for scaling up the initiatives, and to the second phase of the TSLI-ESA project. The main objective of the TSLI-ESA Phase 1 Project has been to identify common land and natural resources tenure issues and to enhance lesson sharing and knowledge management on land-related tools and approaches amongst the various projects, country stakeholders and partners.

Designing a Land Records System for the Poor is the first attempt to fill the gaps in the development of new forms of land recordation to assist the implementation of a continuum of land rights approach at scale. It is about the development of the initial design of a pro-poor land recordation system - a recording system aimed at supporting the recognition and protection of a range of rights of the poor.

In this synthesis report, the issue of tenure security is addressed and assessed in several countries where government, civil society, the private sector and development cooperation initiatives have been implemented for decades.

This publication is the second report of the Advisory Group on Forced Evictions (AGFE) to the Executive Director of UN-Habitat. It contains follow-up information on eviction cases documented in the first report, 15 new cases, and a detailed analysis of the current global situation regarding forced evictions and successful counterstrategies, methodologies and tools to stop and prevent forced evictions.

This publication, Monitoring Security of Tenure in Cities: People, Land and Policies, presents an innovative method to ascertain the extent to which security of tenure can be measured at three main levels. Targeting cities in developing countries, the methodological framework presented in this publication is entrusted in the concept of continuum of land rights where tenure can be realised at various levels: individual, household, settlement or community, city and national levels. Various options to measure tenure security at each of these levels are presented.

The Guide to Land Mediation mainly draws its inspiration from practical experience on the ground of the land program conducted by UN-Habitat in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri. It refers, in some places, to other countries experiences in post-conflict situations. This guide offers practical steps and tools used during the land mediation process. The publication highlights, not only the role and responsibilities of mediation stakeholders and 'beneficiaries', but also principles and foundations of a good mediation

The Handbook on Best Practices, Security of Tenure and Access to Land--Implementation of the Habitat Agenda (2003) reviews material produced by UN Habitat partners up to and including 1999, in terms of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda. At the time of publishing, this document was the most comprehensive global overview of progress made in countries towards achieving the Habitat Agenda in the area of land tenure and land management/administration.

Everyone has a relationship to land. It is an asset that, with its associated resources, allows its owner access to loans, to build their houses and to set up small businesses in cities. In rural areas, land is essential for livelihoods, subsistence and food security. However, land is a scarce resource governed by a wide range of rights and responsibilities. And not everyone’s right to land is secure. Mounting pressure and competition mean that improving land governance - the rules, processes and organizations through which decisions are made about land - is more urgent than ever.