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About Us
We envision a world in which land governance systems, both formal and informal, are effective, accessible, and responsive for all. This is possible when land tenure and property rights are recognized as critical development issues and when the United States Government and its development partners demonstrate consistent attention and a firm commitment to supporting coordinated policies and programs that clarify and strengthen the land tenure and property rights of all members of society, enabling broad-based economic growth, gender equality, reduced incidence of conflicts, enhanced food security, improved resilience to climate change, and effective natural resource management.
Mission Statement
The USAID Land Tenure and Resource Management (LTRM) Office will lead the United States Government to realize international efforts—in accordance with the U.S. Government’s Land Governance Policy—to clarify and strengthen the land tenure and property rights of all members of society—individuals, groups and legal entities, including those individuals and groups that are often marginalized, and the LTRM Office will help ensure that land governance systems are effective, accessible, and responsive. We will achieve this by testing innovative models for securing land tenure and property rights and disseminating best practice as it relates to securing land rights and improving resource governance within the USG and our development partners.
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Displaying 391 - 395 of 440National Land Observatory Pilot: Burkina Faso
General
Under the Evaluation, Research and Communication (ERC) project, USAID is conducting a pilot project to support the initial start-up phase of a National Land Observatory (NLO) in Burkina Faso. The goal of the NLO is to strengthen Burkina Faso’s land governance and improve transparency in land transactions to promote greater consistency with the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGs). The National Land Observatory pilot project will be launched in Burkina Faso with assistance from the MCA-Burkina Faso. Support will transition to USAID starting on August 1, 2014. The NLO will be responsible for monitoring of, and support to the land tenure reform process currently underway through research, policy assessment, and dialogue. It would cover both rural and urban tenure. The NLO will identify further legal, regulatory, procedural and operational adjustments and also provide a venue for sharing research results, tools developed and lessons learned from pilot land tenure interventions. The ultimate objective of this project is to create a sustainable organization that helps enhance the performance of land institutions in the country and to promote adherence to principles outlined in the VGs in the Context of National Food Security.
Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development II: Guinea
General
The Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development (PRADD) II program will build on the successes of the predecessor PRADD project that was implemented under the Property Rights and Resource Governance Task Order. PRADD and PRADD II were developed to support country compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). The overarching goal of PRADD and PRADD II are to increase the percentage of diamonds entering the legal chain of custody, while improving the livelihoods of artisanal diamond mining communities. PRADD II is financed through a Congressional Earmark in support of the Clean Diamond Trade Act and managed by USAID’s Land Tenure and Property Rights Division within the E3 Bureau. The LTPR Division closely coordinates with the US Department of State and US Geological Survey who also provide support to the KPCS. PRADD II will continue to be a landmark program for the United States Government (USG), the Kimberley Process and the development community at large. PRADD was one of the first and largest development projects concentrated on the Kimberley Process and artisanal diamond mining challenges. Significantly, PRADD has been instrumental in helping the KPCS modify its goals from a narrow focus on traceability, regulation and enforcement systems to a broader focus recognizing the role of economic development in bringing rough diamonds into legitimate chains of custody, and consequently better addressing the challenges of conflict diamonds. This transition is demonstrated by the recent adoption of the Washington Declaration at the 2012 Kimberley Process Plenary meetings that occurred in November in Washington, DC. Due to the limited number of development institutions and experiences in the artisanal mining sector, PRADD II will continue to test and evaluate approaches to achieving its objectives while also consolidating program successes, to encourage other donors and governments to implement PRADD-type programs to achieve KPCS objectives. PRADD II also operates in Cote d’Ivoire.
Strengthening Environmental and Agricultural Research: Zambia
General
The goal of the program is to positively impact the development and implementation of favorable agricultural and environmental policy that promotes agricultural-led, broad-based economic growth leading to a decrease in poverty and hunger, incorporating cross-cutting factors such as sustainable natural resource management, land tenure, gender, resilience, adaptation and mitigation to climate change, research and technology, and nutrition, through institutionalizing and indigenizing evidence-based policy discussion, formulation and implementation by and among broad stakeholders and government actors.
Tenure and Global Climate Change: Burma
General
Using policy engagement, pilot interventions, in-depth case studies, and quantitative and qualitative analysis, the USAID Tenure and Global Climate Change project is advancing knowledge and practice on how land tenure and resource rights relate to global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Burma is experiencing rapid economic transformation across multiple sectors in urban, peri-urban and rural areas. This transition is creating risks for the environment and economic opportunities for Burma’s diverse population, and placing new importance on responsible governance of land and natural resources, as secure land tenure is a cornerstone for peace and stability. As policies and legislation are developed to better govern these resources, existing communal and customary rights must be incorporated. At the same time, new policies must be piloted in various communities to demonstrate broad applicability before national activities are launched. Land-based natural resources in the country, including farmland and forests that are needed for urban expansion or infrastructure projects, will be essential components of a more equitable approach to national economic development. Decisions on how land will be used, by whom, and for what purposes could have far reaching consequences for the people of Burma, the majority of whom are currently smallholder farmers living in the countryside. USAID works in close collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation (MONREC), multiple civil society organizations and other groups, both public and private, to ensure the successful implementation of this project. OBJECTIVES USAID’s Land Tenure Project has a number of inter-related objectives focused on contributing to the goals of broad-based economic development, improving livelihoods in rural areas, promoting sustainable land use management and achieving resilient community development. Specific goals include: Supporting the development and implementation of a National Land Use Policy and related laws that clarify rights and encourage sustainable use of land and natural resources; Strengthening the land tenure, resource, and property rights of rural individuals, households and communities, with particular attention to women, ethnic minorities, smallholder farmers and other vulnerable groups; and, Increasing consultation among government, civil society and business on issues of broad public concern related to land tenure and land use. ACTIVITIES USAID is supporting the above activities through the following activities: Providing technical assistance to further develop the policy, legal and regulatory framework for land governance through a focus on land, forests and other natural resource rights and management; Conducting pilots that include participatory mapping, formal recognition of customary land and resource tenure and approaches to alternative land dispute resolution; Raising public awareness and participation on the policy and pilot implementation process with educational and outreach materials; and, Conducting research and monitoring that will inform further legal development and policy implementation.
Land Reform in Afghanistan
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.