Skip to main content

page search

Issues land law related Blog post
There are 3, 883 content items of different types and languages related to land law on the Land Portal.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 83

UN General Comment No. 26/2022: (Re-)positioning corruption as a land rights concern

20 September 2024
Jonathan Ochom

Current global developments in the land and human rights spheres show a progressive shift to focus on previously ‘unpopular’ subjects like corruption. The most recent milestone in this regard was the adoption of a General Comment on land and economic, social, and cultural rights (E/C.12/GC/26) by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (UN CESCR) in December 2022.

Traditional authorities need a clearer role in land governance

07 May 2024
Jesintak

Traditional authorities in Zambia complain that the government does not consult them when land is allocated for investment projects, while communities say chiefs are neglecting their interests. Jesinta Kunda of Zambia Land Alliance says more clarity is needed on the role of traditional authorities, in law and practice, to ensure large-scale investments in agriculture, mining and other sectors are governed better – particularly in light of the rising demand for critical minerals found in Zambia. She urges the government, traditional leaders and citizens to seize the opportunities presented by current legal reforms in Zambia to create change.

Incorporating Climate Considerations Into Investment Assessment Processes: Guidance for National and Local Governments

22 April 2024
gkb2115

Climate change poses an existential threat to ecosystems, with potentially far-reaching impacts on agriculture, forestry, wind and solar energy, and other land-based investments. These investments can also further exacerbate detrimental climate change impacts if they are not sustainably implemented. 

Navigating Malawi's Land Laws: Unravelling Colonial Legacies and Customary Challenges

04 March 2024
Davies

The article examines the challenges in Malawi's land governance, tracing issues back to colonial legacies and addressing contemporary problems in customary land practices. Despite amendments to incorporate indigenous people and customary laws, challenges persist, particularly in ownership claims tied to prevailing customary law in which marriage systems play a central role. The journey towards reform began in 1996, resulting in the Malawi National Land Policy in 2002, aiming for tenure security and sustainable land use. The Customary Land Act (amended) of 2022 faces challenges, including potential land grabs by wealthy Malawians. Women and children's rights in land ownership are often overlooked, with discriminatory practices persisting. Striking a balance between decolonisation and cultural preservation is crucial for achieving social justice in land laws.

Understanding the link between Climate & LAND-at-scale country projects - Sustainable Solutions for Rural-Urban Migrants in Baidoa, Somalia

19 February 2024
Karel Boers
Marta Cavallaro
facquaviva
Aoife Ossendorp

As part of a scoping study titled Land Governance for Climate Resilience: A review and case studies from LAND-at-scale projects headed by Richard Sliuzas, Emeritus Professor, University of Twente, IOM explored how climate plays a role in the UN-led Saameynta Joint Programme in Somalia. In this context, climate change is increasingly recognized as a multiplier of insecurity and fragility, where climate-related sudden and slow-onset disasters are driving people to leave their land and migrate. While migrating allows people to find alternative livelihoods and enhance their climate resilience, it can also be associated with instances of maladaptation to climate change. As such, this case highlights durable solutions in climate-driven urban sprawl in Baidoa.  

Towards a Global Land Agenda: Shaping the Future of Land Governance

04 July 2023
Ward Anseeuw
neilsorensen

In a world grappling with numerous challenges related to climate change, socio-economic issues, and migration, the significance of land cannot be overstated. Land is not just a concern for the land community but for all communities, as it holds the potential to address critical global issues. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive approach to land governance, a global land agenda is being proposed. This blog explores the origins, objectives, and actions required to pave the way for effective land governance on a global scale.

Civil society organizations are key to creating better land policies: lessons from Zambia

04 April 2023
Jesintak

 

In a blog series from IIED and the Land Portal, rights defenders and practitioners in the global South reflect on their strategies to push for more responsible and sustainable land-based investments. Here, guest blogger Jesinta Kunda describes how civil society organizations were key to improving Zambia’s first ever National Lands Policy.

 

Land registration and the local social contract

06 March 2023
Wytske

During the Annual Conference hosted by the Knowledge Platform Security and Rule of Law (KPSRL), the LAND-at-scale knowledge management organised a session exploring how land registration might impact relations between local governments and the populations they are expected to serve. Land registration interventions today often follow a path of decentralisation in which local land offices are tasked with additional responsibilities, or new entities are being created. These local offices give local authorities an important role in land mapping, registration, administration and adjudication.

Webinar Recap: Land Tenure Security Revisited

21 December 2022
hybridauth_Google_104833242371286176004
Wytske

On 15 December 2022 the LAND-at-scale Knowledge Management team hosted a webinar Land tenure security revisited: Do we know what we need to know? that presented the preliminary findings of a study on tenure security authored by Guus van Westen, and Jaap Zevenbergen. The presentation of the study was followed by breakout sessions on tenure security and its relationship to women's land rights, the role of the state, land conflicts, and economic development facilitated by land experts and panelists who reported back to the plenary on the discussions with their respective reflections on the findings of the study.