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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 421 - 425 of 440Biodiversity Conservation of Public Lands in the Brazilian Amazon
General
The Biodiversity Conservation of Public Lands in the Brazilian Amazon project will support the development and implementation of capacity building and technical assistance activities to strengthen conservation and management of biologically significant target areas, representing diverse terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems within public lands and their buffer zones in the western Brazilian Amazon biome, Strengthening the conservation of these target areas, particularly those within geographic regions which are actively exposed to the expansion of economic activities, represents a unique opportunity for USAID to support conservation initiatives that are closely linked to securing sustainable livelihoods and the broader macro-economic, political and social changes that can determine the impact of sustainable development in the Amazon for the years to come. Objectives Ensure the survival of fauna and flora species in the Amazon biome, Safeguard of traditional and indigenous livelihoods, and Foster the sustainable provision and management of environmental goods and services. Outcomes The design and implementation of biodiversity monitoring and land management plans for indigenous lands in the Western Amazon region. Training of indigenous bio monitoring agents, responsible for collection and registration of systematized information related to the flora and fauna census, hunting, fishing, and use of natural resources. Provided technical assistance to the Surui indigenous people to implement a carbon credit trading plan based on the land management plan for their lands.
Economic Growth Hubs, Infrastructure and Competitiveness: Philippines
General
The Economic Growth Hubs Project is a Cooperative Agreement with the Asia Foundation. The project has three objectives: Better Provision of Infrastructure, Better Performing Economic Growth Hubs, and Promoting a political economy approach to economic policy reform process. One of the activities under Better Performing Economic Growth Hubs was the provision of technical support for the passage and effective implementation of the Residential Free Patent law in the Philippines. The Residential Free Patent Act (RA 10023), passed in March 2010, creates a low-cost, administrative procedure to more efficiently title the estimated 8,000,000 untitled residential parcels in the country and unlock “dead capital” to drive economic development. Objectives Better Provision of Infrastructure: a) Through improved public-private partnerships (PPP) – This activity will seek to establish an enduring policy and institutional environment that promotes competitively bid and properly implemented PPP infrastructure projects; b) Through increasing transparency and accountability in budget and spending – The goal is to broaden participation in the allocation and implementation of infrastructure investments. The project will provide technical assistance to civil society, business associations and/or government institutions to increase understanding and participation in the decision-making and implementation processes of infrastructure projects in the Philippines; c) To expand Philippine Roll On, Roll Off (RoRo) network both domestically and regionally Better improving growth hubs: a) Improve the institutional capacity of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA); b) Develop the Subic-Clark as a major tourism and logistics hub; c) Assist in the effective implementation of the Residential Free Patent law Promoting a political economy approach to economic policy reform process – to develop material to increase understanding of the political economy of reform, to develop policy entrepreneurs, inform the design of donor project activities, and support new reform initiatives (with AusAID and World Bank) Outcomes To improve the security of property rights in the Philippines, USAID supported the implementation of the Residential Free Patent Act (RA 10023), passed in March 2010, that creates a low-cost, administrative procedure to more efficiently title the estimated eight million untitled residential parcels in the country and unlock “dead capital” to drive economic development. To further institutionalize reform, the project help established robust partnerships between national Department of Environment and Resources (DENR) and local governments. These partnerships leverage the authority of DENR to issue titles and the resources and interests of LGUs in land titling. Since the pilot was launched in Cebu in January 2011, over 100 local governments have established “land offices”. Based on lessons from the field and working with the DENR’s Land Management Bureau, the project also developed a manual to guide DENR and LGU personnel on establishing and operating land offices.
Evaluation Research and Communication: Global
General
The purpose of the Evaluation, Research and Communication (ERC) project is to create, expand, and communicate the results of evidence-based knowledge around best land tenure and property rights practices in order to enhance internal USAID and external USG learning, guide program design and implementation, and make the most effective use of limited development resources to accomplish key USG development objectives. Activities will support achievement of intermediate result 1.2 under Strategic Objective 1 of the Climate Change and Development Strategy, which notes USAID support for “ensuring the rights and engagement of local and indigenous communities” in conjunction with a focus on improving tools and capacity for land-use planning to reduce deforestation. ERC will also support biodiversity conservation through collection and dissemination of evidence-based knowledge on how secure land tenure and property rights can incentivize sustainable land use and protection of valuable ecosystems including the forest, water and wildlife within them. Work conducted under ERC should adopt a multidisciplinary approach to learning that aligns with USAID’s Evaluation and Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policies and that communicates results of evaluation and research using innovative, creative methods that target key audiences. This work will also contribute to USAID Forward. Objectives Impact Evaluations: evaluate different modalities for land certification applied across Ethiopia Research: build on the existing body of USAID land tenure and property rights work and extend this base of knowledge; encourage debate around innovative models and competing hypotheses related to land tenure and property rights interventions and expected outcomes – challenge existing assumptions Communications: implement strategies to ensure that new knowledge and learning is incorporated into communications efforts, that new knowledge and learning feeds effectively into Land Tenure Division program design efforts, that this knowledge and learning is accessible to users of the Land Tenure Division’s communication products, and that communication efforts and knowledge management take advantage of creative and innovative approaches to conveying information to key target audiences including policy makers, development experts, Mission staff, civil society organizations, women and other vulnerable groups.
Kenya Transition Initiative
General
Kenya’s National Accord and Reconciliation Act of 2008 provided a framework for ending the cycle of political violence that erupted again after the 2007 elections and sought to address the causes of the crisis with a schedule of political and development reforms. Although USAID’s Office of Transition Iniaitives’ work in Kenya has touched on all the Agenda items, work through the Kenya Transition Initiative (KTI) aligned the most with the political and societal reforms outlined in Agenda Item 4, which involved addressing long-term issues. National Accord Agenda Items: Take immediate action to stop violence and restore fundamental rights and liberties Take immediate measures to address the humanitarian crisis, and promote healing and reconciliation Determine how to overcome the political crisis Address long-term issues, including constitutional and institutional reforms, land reforms, poverty and inequalities, youth unemployment, national cohesion, and transparency and accountability Objectives Research grants to inform KTI and civil society Technical guidance through USAID/Kenya, the US Embassy, and the Development Partners Group on Lands (DPGL) Support to build the capacity of local communities to address local land issues Outcomes Helped Provincial Administrations in the North Rift Valley, South Rift Valley, Central, South Nyanza, Eastern, Upper Eastern and Samburu North provinces to sponsor a series of local Peace Forums in targeted areas to bolster support among professional elites for the new Constitution and to mobilize community involvement in the referendum. Provided the Eldoret Chief Magistrates Court with case management software and training in a new e-registry system, which included indexing of archived files, expanding file storage space and training magistrates in the use of a new transcription system in order to maintain their efficiency gains. The work in the Eldoret Chief Magistrates Court initiated management changes and increased efficiency in the Kapsabet Court in Nandi Improved and modernized land registries in the Nakuru, Kitale, Kilifi, Kajiado, and Thika regions.
Sudan Rural Land and Governance Project
General
The Sudan Rural Land and Governance (SRLG) project is a follow-on project to the Sudan Property Rights Program (SPRP), which assisted the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) to develop a draft land policy based on extensive public consultation and research, as well as provided support to build the capacity of the South Sudan Land Commission (SSLC). The Sudan Rural Land and Governance project helps to harmonize the land policy with the 2009 Land Act, supports two selected States and two Counties governments for more effective land administration and planning. The goal of this project is to define and establish rural land governance institutions and processes so as to promote property rights, encourage sound land use management, mitigate conflict, reduce the potential for rural landowners to be divested of their land, and to encourage broad based participation in future land allocation, management, and investment decisions.