News on Land

Carbon and nature offsetting perpetuates business as usual in a broken system, and will not fix the climate crisis

In communities’ visions of a secure future, good governance, transparency, and respect for customary rights matter more than a piece of paper

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the Netherlands embassy in Bagdad (EKN) and the Netherlands Enterprise and Development Agency (RVO) are delighted to announce a LAND-at-scale project in Iraq. Over the coming three years, the project will work to initiate policy dialogue on the land legal framework reform and work to secure tenure rights for Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and returnees in Iraq

Sometimes at high-level international events, like the Africa Climate Summit held in early September 2023, we do not have the opportunity to, or forget to, include the voices of people who are going through the very issues discussed.

The Land Portal Foundation and the Open Data Charter have released the report State of Land Information in Madagascar: An Open Data Action Framework for Madagascar, shedding light on the state of the land data ecosystem in Madagascar. The report serves as a comprehensive diagnostic tool and guide, aiming to catalyze change and foster conversations about data transparency and land governance in Madagascar.

Do you have experience in grant monitoring, financial, and personnel administration? Are you experienced in overseeing the financial obligations of a small no-profit organization?  Would you like to work remotely and offer your services to a small international team of enthusiastic and driven people in the nonprofit sector? The Land Portal offers you a great opportunity in a diverse work environment and would like to hear from you!

Land and human rights are closely tied. Land use planning approaches can only be robust and have a meaningful impact if they integrate the interests of vulnerable and marginalised members of communities into their schemes.  

In 2006, Société Camerounaise de Palmeraies (Socapalm), a subsidiary of plantation giant, Socfin, embarked on an ambitious endeavor – the cultivation of palm plantations within Dibombari’s lush rainforest expanse in Cameroon. Yet, beneath the veneer of progress lies a tapestry of troubling accusations. Allegations of forcible land displacement, pollution of vital water sources, the decimation of delicate ecosystems, and the sacrilegious intrusion into ancestral lands cast a dark shadow over the company’s operations.

War and drought is emptying Somalia’s countryside, creating a surge in urbanisation and cementing a permanent demographic shift that will have far-reaching implications for the country’s future recovery, say aid and development experts.  

The right to land is a fundamental prerequisite to the other rights (economic, social, and cultural) that depend on land, and which determine the living conditions and social integration of Ethiopia’s rural and urban communities. In recent times, high rates of population growth, unregulated urban expansion, and poor use of resources have led to land degradation, loss of biodiversity, and disputes over access. An integrated and participatory approach to land management is considered essential if resources are to be used sustainably and equitably in the future.