In 2022 we remain in the midst of a once-in-a-century pandemic, increasingly violent weather events connected to the changing climate, and global security tensions due to war and conflict. Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are among the most vulnerable and are both directly and indirectly hard-hit by these events. 

Secure tenure rights and equitable access to land, fisheries and forests are critical means of eradicating hunger and poverty, supporting sustainable development and enhancing the environment.

The webinar will share the latest results from the Open Up Guide implementation pilot in Senegal and the SOLI research in Namibia. We will ask and answer pressing questions concerning the interest in and maturity of open data in the two countries and specifically in the land sector. 

Strengthening security of tenure is considered a key outcome of the LAND-at-scale program as a pre-condition to improved livelihoods, resilience, and sustainable resource use. LAND-at-scale interventions employ a range of tools to achieve tenure security, in particular land mapping and registration. Despite the popularity of such interventions, the assumptions underpinning the impact pathways from registration to tenure security and derived outcomes such as improved livelihoods are not always built on a solid evidence base. 

The momentum is increasing around international land monitoring initiatives, together with an unprecedented demand for free, accessible, and usable land data and information. The land sector must find ways to seize opportunities presented by open data innovations while negotiating a rapidly changing data environment. 

The Land Portal and Open Data Charter have been working with the Government of Senegal to open up land data, following the guidance set forth in the Open Up Guide for Land Governance. The Open Up Guide is a practical guide for governments who are seeking to better collect, publish, and use land data for the public good. As Phase 1 of this project, the team has published the State of Land Information in Senegal (SOLI) Report. SOLI reports are research-driven analyses of the current state of land data that assess the available land information against open data standards. 

The webinar will:

• Share latest results from the Open Up Guide implementation pilot in Senegal and findings from the SOLI Senegal report 

• Ask and discuss questions concerning the interest in and maturity of open data in Senegal as it relates to land 

• Hear perspectives from the government of Senegal (ANAT, PROCASEF), donors (GIZ, World Bank), local community members, using specific case studies on data and land initiatives

The aim of this event is increasing public understanding of the links between climate change, disasters, and land tenure rights, and bringing land tenure issues in the climate change discourse, listening particularly to the voices of civil society and youth. The discussion is also expected to bring forth some ideas for action both for the new GFAR Collective Action on land tenure and climate change, and for policy makers.    

The India Land and Development Conference (ILDC) is an annual destination of diverse land actors and enthusiasts from the Global South. Since its inception in 2017, ILDC has brought together over 2500 participants from more than 70 countries, engaging in vital discussions on crucial land-related issues. This unique collective-led international conference has been a catalyst for partnerships, collaborative research, and action, contributing significantly to building a symbiotic land ecosystem in India.

One of the main aims of the Land Dialogues series is and has been to highlight Indigenous knowledge and wisdom as a solution to pressing global challenges.  The series does so by creating a virtual space that bridges that gap, where the term “expert” is not limited to academics or researchers, in an effort to both decolonize and democratize knowledge.  In particular, the Land Portal’s role is to highlight Indigenous Peoples’ need for agency and control over the data that is about them, recognizing that data can either amplify equality or exacerbate unequal power structures.

The Eighth India Land and Development Conference, ILDC 2024 will be organised from 5-7 November 2024 at FLAME University, Pune, India.

The 52nd Plenary Session of the Committee on World Food Security (CFS 52) was held from 21 to 25 October 2024 in Rome, Italy.