Skip to main content

page search

Issues Indigenous & Community Land Rights related Blog post
Displaying 1 - 12 of 248

How global climate initiatives can risk Indigenous women’s land rights

05 February 2025
Celine Salcedo-La Viña
Anamaría Martínez

Recognizing Indigenous lands is important to achieving forest and biodiversity targets and mitigation goals. This is directly acknowledged in initiatives like the Global Biodiversity Framework’s 30x30 Target, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (REDD+) and Net Zero by 2050.

However, the actions necessary to achieve these targets can sometimes result in pressure  and infringement on Indigenous and local land tenure systems that are already insecure due to lack of formal recognition and communities’ weak participation in decision-making related to climate initiatives. These pressures are experienced differently by women and men because of social, economic and political dynamics that influence land tenure and community governance systems. Failure to account for gender when implementing climate initiatives can risk eroding the traditional land entitlements of women and trigger additional negative impacts.

Beyond land tenure, youth land rights fosters socioeconomic development

23 December 2024
Khadija Mrisho
Yidamno-Antonio Wesley

Africa is the youngest continent in the world, with a median age of around 20. This rising generation of youth presents an enormous opportunity for socio-economic development. But for Africa’s young people to unlock their full potential, they need full enjoyment of land rights – a cornerstone for economic opportunity and social empowerment.

Webinar recap - Navigating Loss and Damage : A Path to Justice for Indigenous Peoples

09 December 2024

Under the umbrella of the Land Dialogues series, the last  webinar of this year’s series “Navigating Loss and Damage : A Path to Justice for Indigenous Peoples” took place on December 5th, 2024. The webinar drew in a little over 250  participants. The series is organized by a consortium of organizations, including the Land Portal Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Tenure Facility and this particular webinar was  

Roots of Resistance: Adivasi Struggles in the Era of Digital Dispossession

04 December 2024
Jacinta Kerketta, a distinguished poet, writer, and journalist from the Oraon Adivasi community of Jharkhand, delivered a stirring keynote at the 8th India Land and Development Conference. With her voice deeply rooted in the struggles and stories of her people, Jacinta brought the ongoing displacement and erosion of Adivasi land rights into sharp focus, weaving poignant poetry with hard-hitting narratives.

Webinar recap: land rights and critical minerals

02 December 2024
hybridauth_Google_112436478320262270252
stacey.zammit@landportal.info
The global transition to renewable energy depends on critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel, but their extraction raises significant challenges for land rights, environmental sustainability, and equitable benefit sharing. In this webinar, experts from Zambia, Uganda, Indonesia, and the global governance field explored what it takes to align mineral extraction with principles of justice and equity.

Transforming finance for sustainable development: Rethinking Official Development Assistance for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

27 November 2024
hybridauth_Google_112436478320262270252

On November 27, 2024, the Global Donor Working Group on Land convened a pivotal session as part of the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development Annual General Assembly (AGA). Under the theme “Redefining and Enhancing the Quality of Finance for Sustainable Development,” the event focused on optimizing Official Development Assistance (ODA) to address the needs and rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). The session spotlighted practical approaches to improving the inclusivity, efficiency, and impact of development finance amidst intensifying global crises.

Protecting Biodiversity Hinges on Securing Indigenous and Community Land Rights

05 November 2024
Katie Reytar
PeterVeit
Johanna von Braun

In 2022, countries reached a historic agreement to halt biodiversity loss by conserving at least 30% of land and water by 2030. This marked a critical step toward protecting the world's precious remaining species and ecosystems. But that's not all: The Global Biodiversity Framework, as it's known, also explicitly calls on countries to recognize and uphold Indigenous Peoples and local communities' rights in their conservation strategies.

Why Funders Must Prioritise Land Rights for Women: Catalysing Economic Empowerment and Gender Equality in India

04 November 2024
Shivani Gupta
Aparna Subramanyam

India has made significant strides in empowering women over the past few decades, starting with self-help groups (SHGs) that became powerful vehicles for social inclusion. Government and NGO efforts later expanded to skilling and livelihood initiatives, helping women increase their income and build small businesses within their communities. Yet, despite this progress, the urgent need remains for a long-term, sustainable solution to women's empowerment.

Empowering Africa's Youth Through Land Rights: A Path to Sustainable Development

28 October 2024
hrhdrani

As I addressed the Fourth International Conference on Youth and Land Governance in Africa (CIGOFA4), I reflected on the critical issue of youth and land access in Africa, which remains a significant barrier to sustainable development. Land is more than an economic asset; it is the foundation of our cultural heritage, our identity, and the key to our future. However, across sub-Saharan Africa, land access continues to pose challenges, especially for our youth. These challenges, if left unaddressed, will hinder Africa's growth.

Bridging the Gap: Empowering Indigenous Communities Through Direct Climate Finance

27 September 2024
On September 23, 2024, a powerful hybrid event titled "From Commitment to Action: Enabling Direct Funding for Indigenous Peoples in Multilateral Climate and Biodiversity Initiatives" was hosted at the Ford Foundation headquarters in New York City as part of Climate Week. The event gathered Indigenous leaders, activists, multilateral fund representatives, and climate finance experts to address a critical question: Can multilateral mechanisms, with their sprawling bureaucracy, meet the urgent need for direct, fit-for-purpose funding for Indigenous Peoples on the frontlines of climate and biodiversity challenges?