In November, the world gathers in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). To elevate the voices of our local partners, Landesa spoke with a few of our partners about climate change themes in their work.
If we want to improve lives and alleviate poverty, achieve food security globally, and guarantee human rights and full dignity for all, we must invest in land rights for women.
For national governments pursuing their climate commitments, securing land tenure for their rural populations would lay the foundation for effective, sustainable climate action.
Women are underrepresented in climate leadership but hold the solutions for both people and planet.
Although Indigenous and rural communities are vital to the fight against climate change, in many countries these populations struggle to obtain formal rights over their land. Securing land rights for rightful landholders addresses poverty and climate change together.
The rapid and crucial shift from fossil fuels to renewables has witnessed a familiar trend: Women — especially rural and indigenous women — are severely marginalized in decisions about land use.
Land degradation neutrality is daunting, but not impossible. And often the solutions are simple, even if the implementation is challenging: protect forests and land, and the people stewarding them.
Rachel McMonagle, Landesa’s Climate Change and Land Tenure Specialist, urges the Biden Administration to put Indigenous Peoples’ rights and expertise at the forefront of climate change solutions.
2020 was a tough year on many fronts, and land rights were no exception. COVID-19 hindered land rights advocates from doing field research, meeting with government officials, prioritizing policy initiatives, and obtaining funding. Despite these headwinds, we have seen important advances, and the field continues to grow. Here are eight breakthroughs in 2020 to celebrate.
COVID-19 and climate change are impacting all of us, but the dual disasters have a disproportionate impact on communities in emerging economies. These impacts are felt most acutely in rural areas, especially among indigenous communities and minority groups, and by women and others who are marginalized within those groups. Land rights were already crucial for food security, identity, and survival; but COVID-19 and climate change make land rights an increasingly vital solution in rural areas.