"At last, we are beginning to harvest more than 100 years
of international advocacy of Indigenous peoples."
- Dr. Myrna Cunningham Kain, on her initial reactions to the $1.7 billion pledge
The Land Portal advocates for more and better open land data, but more and better have never been our end objectives. Data must be used; it needs a purpose. One of the ways we practice what we preach is through our data stories.
Linking open data for land rights
700+ indicators
Statistical data aggregated from trusted providers
66,000+ resources
Searchable library of open access publications
Countries
Zambia is a former British Colony which obtained independence in 1964. Heavily dependent on revenues from copper and cobalt mining, the economy has been vulnerable to the rise and fall of commodity prices throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Mozambique continues to struggle with the complex legacies of conflict stemming from a bitter anti-colonial war, followed by decades of civil strife and the current armed insurgency in Cabo Delgado. Mozambique is a fertile and mineral rich country which is also highly vulnerable to the accelerating impacts of climate change. It was recently ranked as the 35th most vulnerable and the 24th least ready country to address climate change effects. Despite having progressive land laws which entrench community land rights, these have proved difficult to implement. There is significant evidence of large scale corporate agricultural, mining and conservation investments which have displaced rural people, undermined livelihoods and fuelled discontent in the countryside.
Issues
With the expansion of cities and urban infrastructure comes a growing need to better understand the relationship between people and land in urban and peri-urban areas.
With secure land tenure, Indigenous Peoples and local communities can realize human rights, achieve economic growth, protect the environment, and maintain cultural integrity. For centuries, Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) have used, managed and depended on collectively-held land for food supplies, cultural and spiritual traditions, and other livelihood needs. Historically governed through customary tenure systems rooted in community norms and practices that often go back centuries, governments often consider such community land as vacant, idle, or state-owned property. Statutory recognition and protection of indigenous and community land rights continues to be a major challenge.
Learn more about challenges concerning Indigenous & Community Land Rights.