Property rights are inexorably linked to taxes, largely because property taxes are often one of the easiest taxes to collect, particularly in developing markets with significant informal sectors. Indeed property taxes are often levied and paid around the world even when citizens lack deed or title to their property.

By Dr. Gregory Myers, USAID Division Chief, Land Tenure and Property Rights

Many stakeholders are concerned about large-scale land acquisitions. Communities, civil society organizations, and donors are worried, but so too is the private sector. Here is a story from the CSR Asia website which notes the risks investors may face when they negotiate rights to use or purchase land.

Yesterday's IMPACTblog included an entry by the Land Tenure Unit Team Leader, Dr. Gregory Myers. Myers, in his role as chair for a UN committee developing guidelines for land tenure, outlines the negotiation process, current progress and potential outcomes of the committee's work.

By Tim Fella, Land Tenure and Conflict Advisor, USAID. On October 15, I had the honor of presenting an updated version of the Global Donor Working Group on Land’s program database and map at a side event at the 41st plenary of the UN Committee on World Food Security (CFS).

By Dr. Gregory Myers, USAID Division Chief, Land Tenure and Property Rights
USAID recently sponsored Devex’s Land Matters campaign in order to raise awareness about the importance of property rights. Throughout this campaign I stress that secure land tenure and property rights (LTPR) is the gateway to economic growth, food security, sustainable natural resources management, and other development goals.

A number of recent articles highlight the importance of strengthening property rights for Indigenous Populations (IP). In Botswana, the government’s attempts to relocate indigenous San (or Basarwa) populations continue to spark heated debate as well as lawsuits. In Nicaragua, indigenous communities are demanding action to halt illegal logging and encroachment by settlers. In Brazil, frustrated indigenous populations have stormed congress and occupied cattle ranches and dam sites.

Near the end of January, Liberian President and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf called attention to “the need for major reform of our land and natural resource governance systems” in her annual message to the national legislature.

On August 2, 2012, USAID awarded the Strengthening Tenure and Resource Rights (STARR) IQC. The STARR program is a five-year contract with a shared ceiling of $700,000,000 designed to address resource tenure issues in support of key U.S.

The visit of five MPs to PRADD-supported mining villages of Sangha-Mbaere in the Central African Republic (CAR) from September 27 to 30, 2010 was a success beyond expectations.

Each quarter we will interview an expert whose work touches on aspects of land tenure and resource management. These will include evaluation specialists, country experts or USAID staff.
Our first interview is with Dr. Lauren Persha, Assistant Professor in Department of Geography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Persha is a member of the core research team of the Impact Evaluation of USAID’s Tenure and Global Climate Change (TGCC) project in Zambia. The Impact Evaluation team’s work was presented at this year’s World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty.

Guest commentary by Robert Primmer, Land Tenure and Climate Change Specialist, Evaluation, Research, and Communication (ERC) Project.