General

In Central America and Mexico communities that live in tropical forests strive to manage these forests sustainably and protect their land rights while facing constant pressure from destructive practices such as illegal logging. At the IAF we support community-led approaches to expanding economic opportunities and improving natural resource management. Our grantee partner Asociacin de Comunidades Forestales de Petn (ACOFOP) together with the Alianza Mesoamericana de Pueblos y Bosques (AMPB) is promoting inclusive and sustainable economic development in forest communities by strengthening a network of young leaders from Guatemala Panama Nicaragua Mexico Costa Rica and Honduras. ACOFOP and AMPB are training these emerging leaders in project development and management providing seed funding for their community initiatives and honing their communication skills to raise awareness of the importance of community forestry in their countries. This grant is part of the IAF's efforts to address the root causes of irregular migration in Central America

General

(Liberia): Last year the Land Governance Support Activity (LGSA) provided crucial support to the GOL's standing up and operationalization of the Liberia Land Authority, which was created in October 2016 to consolidate Liberia's fragmented and ineffective regulation of the land sector. With FY 2018 resources, LGSA will continue to support the Liberia Land Authority to draft policies, regulations, and guidelines that are needed to improve land governance; develop and institute a comprehensive geomatics certificate course at the Forestry Training Institute that will train 30 new surveyors this year; field test customary tenure recognition and local governance processes and procedures in seven pilot communities; and continue awareness raising efforts through grants and direct outreach activities, particularly pertaining to women's land rights, community negotiation skills in relation to concessions, the criminal conveyance of land, and implementation of the signed Land Rights Act, which will be enacted when printed...

Objectives

Objectives for Liberia: To achieve this goal, LGSA has four objectives: Strengthening the legal, policy, and regulatory framework for land governance; Improving human and institutional capacity for land governance; Protecting customary land rights; and Supporting civil society, private sector, and citizen engagement in land governance.

General

(Ethiopia): The Land Administration to Nurture Development (LAND) activity strengthens land administration and land use planning by: (1) improving legal and policy frameworks; (2) developing technical capacity within government land institutions; (3) supporting research and learning to encourage a sustainable land administration system; and, (4) strengthening pastoral customary tenure through an improved policy, legal environment, landholding certification and governance support to select communities. The activity promotes a vision of strengthened land tenure and property rights to encourage investment in agriculture, reduced conflict and greater food security, support to ensure women land rights in existing land administration and land use proclamations and expropriation is an area of focus in this activity. The activity acquires satellite imagery, land surveying and mapping tools, land information system, training, research data repository and dissemination scheme and professional services.