After an
inspiring training period in the Netherlands in June and July, LANDac fellows
returned to the countries in which they work and have started planning to
conduct in-depth research on a variety of topics related to large-scale
land-based investments across Africa. During the discussions in Utrecht over
the summer, fellows committed themselves to conduct research and to
continuously exchange knowledge, supported by LANDac, with the ultimate goal to
find ways to better position communities to benefit from large-scale land-based
investments.
After some
time catching up on their work, fellows have decided on their research topics. Junior,
based in Uganda, will be looking at the impacts of urbanization processes and
land-based investments on people living in the Kibugambata community in the
municipality of Jinja, a town that is about to receive an official status as a
city. Junior will be working closely together with Teddy, who is researching the
effects of a planned highway between the city of Kampala and Jinja, that goes
hand-in-hand with the displacement of hundreds of families.
In Senegal,
El Hadji is starting his research on the establishment of special economic
zones (SEZ), looking at how these state-led developments will impact farming
communities and in Kenya, Fridah is starting her research on alternative land
investment models for large-scale land-based investments that include local
women and men. Betelehem and Hiwot, both based in Ethiopia, have started their
work on the impacts of a Dutch floriculture companies on local communities and
last but not least, Salah is working on empowering men and women through
community mapping tools in Sudan, where he is closely collaborating with the
Dutch Embassy.
All fellows
will start their work by first looking into the local context: who lives around
these investments and what are their ambitions, priorities and challenges?
Fellows will share the findings of their research through blogs and reports
throughout the year through the LANDac website. Would you like to know more
about their research projects or get in touch with one of the fellows? Contact
coordinator Romy Santpoort (r.m.santpoort@uu.nl).
Posted: 2nd October 2019 by Coordinator
UN | Publication: The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development
In 2015, United Nations Member States decided that the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development would be informed by the Global Sustainable Development Report. In 2016 Member States decided that the report would be produced quadrennially by an independent group of scientists appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General and comprising 15 experts representing a variety of backgrounds, scientific disciplines and institutions, with geographical and gender balance.
This report, The Future is Now: Science for Achieving Sustainable Development, is the first quadrennial Global Sustainable Development Report prepared by an independent group of scientists.
“This Global Sustainable Development Report is a poignant reminder of the risks we face if we do not act swiftly and with purpose. The Report makes clear that we are at risk of irreversibly degrading the natural systems that sustain us and further points out where we are off track in “leaving no one behind”. More ambitious, more transformative and more integrated responses are urgently needed. This evidence-based and action-oriented Report further highlights the indispensable role of science for ending hunger, tackling climate change, reducing inequality and accelerating progress across the Sustainable Development Goals.”, according to Liu Zhenmin, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.
Equal land governance as an integrated pathway to sustainable development is explicitly mentioned (p. 108):
Download the whole report here.
Last Updated: 31st July 2020 by Coordinator
WUR/CDI | Course on Landscape Governance
The Wageningen Centre for Development Innovation offers a course on Landscape Governance, taking place between the 30th of March and the 10th of April 2020.
Landscape Governance
This course challenges forestry and nature management professionals to adopt an integrative perspective, to look beyond the forest, and to build bridges between the public and the private sector. We focus on institutional development at landscape level including multi-stakeholder platforms and networks, and financial support mechanisms to guide landscape dynamics on the ground.
For who is this course?
Participants should be experienced professionals with several years of working experience in the fields of natural resources management, forestry, agriculture, rural development, rural livelihoods, sustainable development or other relevant areas. Proficiency in English is required.
What will you learn?
Upon completion of the course you will:
For more information, the costs and application, click here.
Deadline for application (without scholarship) is February 17th 2020.
Last Updated: 31st July 2020 by Coordinator
LANDac | Update Professional Learning Programme
After an inspiring training period in the Netherlands in June and July, LANDac fellows returned to the countries in which they work and have started planning to conduct in-depth research on a variety of topics related to large-scale land-based investments across Africa. During the discussions in Utrecht over the summer, fellows committed themselves to conduct research and to continuously exchange knowledge, supported by LANDac, with the ultimate goal to find ways to better position communities to benefit from large-scale land-based investments.
After some time catching up on their work, fellows have decided on their research topics. Junior, based in Uganda, will be looking at the impacts of urbanization processes and land-based investments on people living in the Kibugambata community in the municipality of Jinja, a town that is about to receive an official status as a city. Junior will be working closely together with Teddy, who is researching the effects of a planned highway between the city of Kampala and Jinja, that goes hand-in-hand with the displacement of hundreds of families.
In Senegal, El Hadji is starting his research on the establishment of special economic zones (SEZ), looking at how these state-led developments will impact farming communities and in Kenya, Fridah is starting her research on alternative land investment models for large-scale land-based investments that include local women and men. Betelehem and Hiwot, both based in Ethiopia, have started their work on the impacts of a Dutch floriculture companies on local communities and last but not least, Salah is working on empowering men and women through community mapping tools in Sudan, where he is closely collaborating with the Dutch Embassy.
All fellows will start their work by first looking into the local context: who lives around these investments and what are their ambitions, priorities and challenges? Fellows will share the findings of their research through blogs and reports throughout the year through the LANDac website. Would you like to know more about their research projects or get in touch with one of the fellows? Contact coordinator Romy Santpoort (r.m.santpoort@uu.nl).
Last Updated: 31st July 2020 by Coordinator
LANDac | Contribute to the LAND Special Issue Land Governance in Transition
Posted: 26th September 2019 by Coordinator
GLTN | Stories of Change
GLTN announced a new publication Stories of Change, Global Land Tool Network Phase 2. This publication is a collection of stories that illustrate outcomes of selected projects from the GLTN Phase 2 programme 2012-2018 at both global and country levels. The publication talks about changes at institutional and policy levels, as well as changes in attitudes and behaviour among decision makers and communities when it comes to dealing with the issues of land and tenure security.
Through these stories GLTN demonstrate how GLTN’s partnerships and catalytic interventions led to changes and improved lives of disadvantaged populations in different contexts, for example: improving basic services in informal urban settlements, improving rural livelihoods, strengthening land rights for women in customary lands, supporting post-disaster reconstruction efforts, mediating land conflicts and supporting peace and stability efforts in post-conflict contexts.
For the website, click here.
For the Stories of Change, click here.
Last Updated: 24th September 2019 by Coordinator
LANDac | Annual International Conference Report 2019 available
The LANDac Annual International Conference Report 2019 is now available on our website. Have a look over here. For any comments, send an e-mail to landac.geo@uu.nl
Last Updated: 24th September 2019 by Coordinator
LANDac | Guatemala Blogs Updated
Jur Schuurman’s blog series on Guatemala have been updated. In this series, Jur tells the story of Guatemalan land issues from many perspectives: land ownership and tenure, urban and rural land use, the (non-) governmental institutional setting, connections to international platforms and last but not least, the way land governance is affected by the context of what is in fact a failed (or failing) state. Concrete cases illustrate these general concepts.
Read the blog series here.
Last Updated: 24th September 2019 by Coordinator
Good Governance Africa (GGA) | Call for Paper Proposals
Good Governance Africa (GGA) invites interested participants to submit a paper proposal in the form of an abstract of up to 500 words. Selected papers will be published in the second edition of GGA’s Rights to Land book.
The first edition of the book examined land restitution procedure in South Africa’s post-apartheid era (William Beinart, Peter Delius and Michelle Hay, 2017). The second volume of the book aims to consider the phenomenon of land ownership, tenure and restitution in Africa. It proposes to highlight the successes and challenges African countries have faced with their land restitution policies and identify the factors influencing the procedures of land tenure and land reform on the continent. This includes, but is not limited to, legal frameworks, customary land tenure and the land rights of women, and land restitution mechanisms, which are reducing poverty and securing sustainable livelihoods. Given the differing historical backgrounds of many African countries, the book also intends to consider the current trajectory of land reform and restitution in postcolonial contexts.
For more information, click here.
Last Updated: 24th September 2019 by Coordinator
LAND-at-scale | SDGs and Land Governance: New Trends. Panel Discussion with LAND-at-scale committee members
Last Updated: 24th September 2019 by Coordinator
IIED | Group Manager Human Settlements Research Group
IIED is a policy and action research organisation. They promote sustainable development to improve livelihoods and protect the environments on which these livelihoods are built. They specialise in linking local priorities to global challenges. IIED is based in London and works in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific, with some of the world’s most vulnerable people. They work with them to strengthen their voice in the decision-making aren as that affect them —from village councils to international conventions.
The role is based in the Human Settlements Group at IIED, which has worked on urban environmental and poverty issues since the 1970s. The group aims to support more equitable and sustainable development in urban centres in low-and middle-income countries. Their poverty focus is vital and informs everything we do because people on very low incomes, living in slums or squatter settlements, are the most vulnerable to environmental challenges. Their work has always been developed with partners, ensuring that it is rooted in the concerns of urban residents and practitioners, while contributing significantly to global research and policy debates.
Main responsibilities of the Group Manager
This is a critical role to ensure the effective operation of one of IIED’s four Research Groups. Working closely with research and coordination colleagues, the post holder will support the development and implementation of strategic goals, manage staff and consultants, and facilitate the effective functioning of the Group. The role of Group Manager at HSG is astrategic and evolving management role. While there will be a strong focus onresearchproject management at the start, we expect that as the group continues to grow, the Group manager position will evolve into a key leadership and management role, focusing on coordinating and growing the group.
For more information, take a look here.
Deadline for application: 31st July 2019