State of Land in the Mekong Region | Land Portal

Resource information

Date of publication: 
December 2018
Resource Language: 
ISBN / Resource ID: 
UNCCD:1177
Pages: 
105

The Mekong region – Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam – is in the midst of profound social and environmental change. Despite rapid urbanization, the region remains predominantly rural. More than 60 per cent of its population live in rural areas, and the vast majority of these people are engaged in agriculture. Due to rapid growth of its agricultural sector, the Mekong region has become a global centre of production and trade for commodities such as rubber, rice, cassava, wood, sugar cane, and palm oil. Between 1996 and 2015, overall agricultural land in the Mekong region grew by 20 per cent, or around 9 million hectares. Most of this expansion has occurred at the expense of the region’s natural capital – especially forests and other vegetation.The Mekong region at a tipping point? While accelerated flows of global investment and the trade of land-intensive commodities have contributed to economic growth, the outcomes have been highly unequal: The benefits of development have largely accrued to the urban elite, while costs have largely been borne by the rural poor. Rural land relations are changing fundamentally, creating new insecurities for land tenure. The Mekong region may well be at a tipping point. Transformational change is crucial to sustainably address the needs of smallholders. Data and information are a key prerequisite for understanding ongoing changes, informing more equitable and innovative decision-making, and monitoring the outcomes of decisions made. “State of Land in the Mekong Region” highlights key trends and changes in the Mekong region that dominate current land debates. In addition, it reflects on how these regional issues relate to global change processes. The report features contributions from world-leading experts from Asia, Europe, and the United States. Ingalls, Micah; Diepart, Jean-Christophe; Truong, Nhu; Hayward, Daniel; Neil, Tony; Phomphakdy, Chanthavone; Bernhard, Rasso; Fogarizzu, Sinu; Epprecht, Michael; Nanhthavong, Vong; Vo, Dang Hung; Nguyen, Dzung; Nguyen, Phong Anh; Saphangthong, Thatheva; Inthavong, Chanthaviphone; Hett, Cornelia; Tagliarino, Nicholas (2018). State of Land in the Mekong Region. Bern, Switzerland and Vientiane, Lao PDR: Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern, and Mekong Region Land Governance, with Bern Open Publishing

Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s): 

Ingalls, Micah
Diepart, Jean-Christophe
Truong, Nhu
Hayward, Daniel
et al.

Corporate Author(s): 

Project Description

Land governance is at the center of development challenges in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Governments are revising land policies and practices in order to face these challenges. The project aims to (i) assist the emergence of more favorable policies and practices for securing the rights and access of family farmers to land and natural resources; and (ii) to strengthen the effectiveness of concerned stakeholders through learning, alliance building and regional cooperation.


Publisher(s): 

Data provider

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (UNCCD) is a Convention to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought through national action programs that incorporate long-term strategies supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements.


 

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