Putting land rights in the climate change narrative: Voices from the ground

Climate change affects everyone. Yet it hits the poor hardest, especially women and children, and those without rights to land.

Landlessness and the lack of secure land tenure amplify the vulnerability of rural poor communities to the impacts of climate change. Yet, the challenges surrounding their lack of land access and insecure tenure rights are often overlooked in climate change discussions, policy-making, and program implementation.

This publication shares twelve stories from Asia and Africa where communities seek to cope with climate change by claiming their rights to land. These case studies show how the absence of secure land rights make poor rural communities more vulnerable to climate change impacts and limit their ability to recover. They also illustrate how the lack of land rights prevents communities from engaging in
climate adaptation and mitigation; disqualifies them from government compensation for loss and damage; deters them from implementing sustainable land use and governance practices; and, severely constrains their right to make decisions for their survival and resilience.