The inaugural Land Governance Brownbag Symposium brought together participants from academia, civil society, public service, and the student community to discuss the linkages between land tenure and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) in the context of UNCCD Decision 26/COP14. Discussions underscored that secure land tenure is fundamental to promoting sustainable land management, while insecurity of tenure often contributes to land degradation. The importance of context-specific approaches, including both private and community land tenure systems, was emphasized. Participants also called for greater integration of land tenure issues into international processes such as the UNCCD, CBD, and the Sustainable Development Goals.
15 November 2024.
Linkages Between Land Tenure and Land Degradation Neutrality in Context of UNCCD Decision 26/Cop14, Demonstrating Opportunities for Sustainable Outcomes by Actors in the Land Tenure Space.
University of Nairobi, Faculty of Law, Prof. H.W.O Okoth-Ogendo Boardroom
Ms. Eva Maria Anyango Okoth, Land Rights, Environmental and Climate Justice Expert and Acting Africa Regional Coordinator for the International Land Coalition.
The symposium further identified the need for strengthening technical capacity in monitoring tenure security indicators and highlighted the centrality of securing women’s land rights. Emphasis was placed on adopting a broader range of measures to combat land degradation beyond tree planting, including promoting participatory forest management and recognizing community rights. The discussions reinforced the need for cross-sectoral collaboration and grassroots involvement to embed land tenure considerations in national LDN strategies and affirmed the importance of maintaining land tenure as a priority issue in forthcoming international negotiations, including COP 16, which was to be held a few days after the brownbag in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between 2nd-13th December 2024.
Reason for modification for the planned Inaugural Monthly Brownbag Symposium:
At commencement of the project implementation in mid-August 2024, planning on rolling out of workplan implementation got immediately underway. The initial plan was to schedule the Brownbag in September 2024. However, the first industrial action called by the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) lasted throughout September 2024. The project team was however able to hold the event on 15 November 2024.