The session introduced the World Bank's Global Program on Access to Land for Climate Action and Infrastructure, aiming to address critical challenges related to land use in the context of climate change and sustainable development. The primary objective was to announce the launch of the Global Program, spotlight commitments from donors, and present insights from the 5-year Global Program on Land and Climate Change.

The session examined the intersection between women’s land rights and climate change, focusing on how secure land tenure for women contributes to a more sustainable and resilient planet. A framing presentation provided by Ruth Meinzen-Dick from IFPRI set the stage by highlighting the latest research on the impacts of climate change on women’s land rights, outlining both the challenges faced and the potential opportunities.

The session examined the vital connection between land rights and intergenerational dynamics, focusing on the role of youth within Indigenous Peoples and local communities across Asia, Africa, and Latin America in climate action. Participants explored how limited access to land and resources, as well as restricted participation in agriculture, impacts young people's involvement in rural areas. These challenges have driven youth migration to urban centers and contributed to an aging rural population, threatening local agriculture, food security, and traditional climate practices.

The session explored strategies and tools for urban land management that are risk-informed, addressing challenges of uneven urban development, inadequate land tenure security, climate change, and disaster risks. Emphasizing the interplay between the natural and built environments, the discussion highlighted how effective land use planning can promote social inclusion, strengthen institutions, improve access to land, facilitate affordable housing, and mitigate risks from natural hazards.

The session explored the challenges facing pastoralism in West and Central Africa, emphasizing the pressures exerted by climate change, demographic growth, privatization, and the expansion of farmland. Discussions highlighted how collective grazing practices, which accommodate the region’s ecological variability, have been sidelined in favor of privatized resources and sedentary livestock systems that prioritize agricultural interests. Despite their suitability for local ecosystems, communal grazing methods struggle for recognition within current public policies.

The session explored the challenges at the intersection of customary and statutory land governance in the context of climate change, emphasizing perspectives from diverse regions. Discussions highlighted the complexities of managing land resources under dual systems, where traditional authorities and formal legal frameworks often coexist and sometimes conflict. Participants shared experiences from both Anglophone and Francophone contexts, with a focus on how traditional knowledge and formal regulations can be reconciled to address climate change impacts.

The session examined the intricate challenges that arise when customary and statutory land governance systems intersect, particularly under the pressures of climate change. Insights from multiple regions illuminated the complexities involved in managing land resources where traditional authorities and legal frameworks coexist, occasionally leading to conflicts. Participants contributed perspectives from both Anglophone and Francophone regions, highlighting the delicate balance between traditional knowledge systems and formal regulations.

The session focused on the critical role of inclusive and transparent land governance in fostering climate resilience, particularly in the context of Africa’s ongoing struggles with the impacts of climate change. Recognizing land as a foundational element for economic, environmental, and social stability, the discussion centered on the need for people-centered land governance and secure tenure to support community adaptation to climate challenges.

The session focused on advancing responsible land-based investment (RLBI) governance through a comprehensive, multi-actor, and multi-pronged approach. Discussions centered on the ALIGN Technical Support Facility’s efforts to foster effective governance frameworks, emphasizing the importance of political economy considerations in navigating complex land governance contexts. Emerging pressures, such as climate change and the need for a just transition, were highlighted as key factors influencing land-based investment decisions.

The session centered on safeguarding tenure rights across land, forests, and fisheries, emphasizing their importance in ensuring equitable access to resources amid climate change. The discussion was anchored by an analysis of the Voluntary Guidelines on Land, Forests, and Fisheries Tenure, illustrating how a tenure-based approach can enhance resource access and resilience for vulnerable communities.

The session focused on the relationship between land tenure security and community-driven conservation as vital elements in the fight against climate change. The initial presentation reviewed the state of evidence on nature-based interventions, emphasizing their role in climate resilience and mitigation. A key topic was the significance of secure local and Indigenous land tenure for sustainable environmental management, underlining how community control over resources fosters long-term conservation.

The session examined the critical role of land and property valuation in supporting sustainable urbanization, emphasizing its influence on economic development, wealth distribution, and social and environmental sustainability. Presentations highlighted how robust valuation infrastructure underpins property trading, mortgaging, property taxation, land acquisition, financial reporting, and urban planning.