General

The main purpose of the Integrated Bolivian Amazon Project is to provide direct support to promote protection, conservation and sustainable use of the region’s biodiversity and environmental goods and services; increase incomes and promote economic growth through sustainable use of biodiversity; strengthen participatory local governance to improve environmental management; and strengthen the capacity of national and sub-national government institutions to develop policies and technical tools that promote biodiversity conservation, mitigate the impacts of climate change and support sustainable economic development. The project focuses on 6 municipalities in Northern La Paz-Beni, and Santa Cruz selected for the importance of their biodiversity, their relatively high population densities and their interest and willingness to promote sustainable economic development. Objectives Strengthen local and municipal governance to improve biodiversity conservation efforts, environmental management, and increase resilience to climate change. Promote economic growth and increase incomes of local and indigenous communities and producer groups through sustainable use of natural resources, land-based production systems and improved commercialization and marketing links for related goods and services. Seek opportunities to scale-up the project’s results to regional and national levels. Outcomes More than 630,526 hectares of biological significance under improved natural resource management. Support provided by the project includes biodiversity conservation of 29 forestry species and 17 fauna species in a total area of 1.4 million hectares. More than 450,000 hectares under forestry management plans through 12 community forestry organizations. More than 6,700 people benefited directly from natural resources and biodiversity management activities. More than 1,700 direct and indirect jobs generated and more than $720.000 in sales.

General

The Land Reform in Afghanistan (LARA) project seeks to develop a robust, enduring, and Afghan-owned and managed land market framework that encourages investment and productivity growth, resolves/mitigates land-based conflict, and builds confidence in the legitimacy of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA). LARA provides technical assistance and support to GIRoA institutions that address land issues, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), the Supreme Court, and the Ministry of Urban Development Affairs (MUDA), and will create Afghan capacity to successfully design, manage, and implement needed land tenure reform for land market development. Objectives More secure property rights for Afghan citizens through improved institutional, policy, and legal systems Improved public awareness of and ability to exercise property rights, especially in vulnerable populations (women and minorities) Improved economic growth and increased private-sector investment Increased revenue to GIRoA from leases of government land Increased sanitation tax revenues at the municipal level Properties registered with municipal and Supreme Court registration offices Outcomes Established and piloted a model process for land rights formalization of informal settlement in Afghanistan. Mapped 100% of land parcels in Jalalabad; Completed a land parcel/household inventory of 2,780 land parcels covering 2 informal settlements in Jalalabad applying the model formalization process. Completed infrastructure upgrading activities in 2 informal settlements in Jalalabad. Established a Women’s Land Rights Task Force with leading Afghan men and women representing national and local government and civil society to advise LARA on land rights and inheritance issues affecting women in Afghanistan Supported women’s land rights conferences, training sessions and public information awareness campaigns that lead directly to the exercise inheritance rights by women which were successful Conducted gender-mainstreaming training within land administration institutions Installed Cadastral Data Management and Land Records Management systems within the Land Authority (ARAZI) and trained 805 government staff in key land management skills. Installed a Deeds Registry Archive Conversion System for Land Titles (to convert paper deeds into electronic format within a dedicated database) within the Supreme Court. Developed community-based dispute resolution guidelines and conducted associated training to communities and government institutions. Completed a BizCLIR analysis of Afghan laws and advised on the amendments to the Land Management Law and Cadastral Law. In consultation with GIRoA counterparts and key stakeholders, completed a series of maps of Jalalabad identifying donor and government investments in the city, and a Land Ownership Status Map identifying informal settlements that could be the target of project activities. Conducted Three Urban Planning Clinics in Jalalabad with government counterparts for the purposes of drafting a series of thematic maps representing land use, project use, Community Development Council (CDC) boundaries, environmental hazards, and gozar boundaries. Hosted a three-day Informal Settlements Upgrading and Formalization workshop with 140 leading stakeholders in land issues. The workshop was coordinated jointly with MUDA and the Kabul Urban Reconstruction Program. Using local and international partners, conducted and completed a Gender and Dispute Resolution Assessment in two informal settlements in Jalalabad. The data from the assessment has identified key strategies for approaching gender issues in the context of project activities in the selected informal settlements in Jalalabad. Identified and mapped key water networks and road infrastructure in Jalalabad city, in parallel to the assessment of infrastructure servicing targeted informal settlements. With a local subcontractor, conducted and completed a Socio-Economic and Housing Baseline Survey (SES) in Jalalabad involving over 400 household surveys. Completed institutional assessments for relevant Afghan institutions: MAIL/Arazi and AGCHO, MUDA, IDLG/GDMA, and the Supreme Court insofar as their respective activities touch land administration. Completed a Business Climate Legal and Institutional Reform (BizCLIR) Assessment of Real Estate. Supported and contributed to MAIL/Arazi’s national training seminar on land leasing and other land policy-related issues that was attended by over 160 staff.

General

The Enhancing Customary Justice Systems in the Mau Forest (Justice) Project piloted an approach for improving women’s access to customary justice, particularly related to women’s land rights, by enhancing the customary justice system in one target area. The work also resulted in a clearer understanding of the relationships between customary and statutory institutions and laws, and the development of a model to promote the integration of informal and formal justice systems. The pilot activity complemented other USAID programs in Kenya focused on addressing land/resource tenure, access to justice, and governance challenges, in the upper Mara River catchment area within the Mau Forest Complex, Kenya (“Mau”). By design, this project has relied extensively on assessments and other information, for and under the ProMara project, gathered since February 2010. The pilot project lasted from 2010 – 2012 and a follow-on project began in 2013. The follow-on project seeks to share the Kenya Justice Project approach as well as results and lessons learned from the Project evaluation to explore opportunities and support for broader sustainable application throughout Kenya, particularly focused on formalizing and institutionalizing linkages and processes between the formal and informal justice sectors, consistent with Article 159 of Kenya’s Constitution. Objectives Develop basic justice modules to train traditional leaders on provisions of the Kenyan Constitution and National Land Policy. Build capacity within the customary justice system to more effectively perform duties. Build women’s capacity to govern and to know, understand, and exercise their rights. Support justice learning related to the Kenyan Constitution and the National Land Policy within schools and families. Raise community’s legal awareness. Outcomes Chiefs publicly issued a new Katiba (local constitution) to guide their decision making and legal responsibilities to the community. Significant increases in women’s access to land and control over household level decision-making around land and other family assets. In addition, several women in the community now have their names on land titles, including widows. Two of the Ol Pusimoru sub-locations elected 14 women elders out of 50 total in 2012. This election of women as elders is the first within the Maasai and Kalenjin communities. The number of women elders grew to 22 in 2013 and 33 out of 50 elders total in 2014. Chiefs and elders now require spousal consent (with witnesses) for all land transactions, including leases. In the Ol Mariko sub-location, women who received training made the request that elders no longer hear rape cases. The elder council agreed with the request and is now referring all such cases to formal legal systems. Trained 34 women in environmental and forest management and alternative dispute resolution. These women then conducted over 20 peer sessions, reaching more than 268 women.