The Observatory on Land Acquisitions Project is an innovative project that aims to improve the quality and inclusiveness of policy dialogue and decision-making on land, both globally and in countries around the world, by making spatial data, as well information on actors and their activities, more accessible and engaging. As an interactive platform where individuals and organizations can both participate in providing information, but also explore commercial pressures on land by activity, by region, and by investors, the platform will ultimately provide both a global and regional 'bird’s eye' view and a ground-view of the issue of land-based investments. The ground-view will come from reports by partners and in the future by the general public and engaged citizens in participating countries. It will provide international and national policy dialogues with greater insight into the real conditions faced by people, as well as give affected people a more direct voice in these processes.
Who?
The project is coordinated globally by the International Land Coalition (ILC) with its strong experience in monitoring, policy dialogue and advocacy, and by the Centre for Development and the Environment (CDE) at the University of Bern, Switzerland, with its technical and conceptual know-how. But it will be co-created together with partners in pilot countries, which may have custom national-level versions.
The Observatory on Land Acquisitions is conceived of as a meeting between international policy, national and local interests. As such, the Observatory will only be as strong as its relevance at a national level, and only as strong as its actively involved partners and co-creators.
CDE and ILC are looking to work with organizations and stakeholders, both governmental and non-governmental in pilot countries who see the need for better, interactive access to spatial data on land-based investments, as well as further insight into investors and other actors including impacted and vulnerable groups like women, indigenous people and pastoralists.
To read more, please download the PDF below or contact Janet Gunter, janet.gunter AT gmail.com