Since 2010, the GIZ Land Programme in Lao PDR has sought to improve the land tenure security of rural communities. The programme currently consists of three projects – the BMZ-commissioned Land Management and Decentralised Planning (LMDP) Project, the Enhanced Land Tenure Security (ELTeS) sub-project within a global programme on responsible land policy, as well as the German contribution to the Mekong River Land Governance (MRLG) Initiative.

The need to strengthen the capacity of CSOs, DLOs, ICU and partners working on land governance in Teso has become obvious if harmonisation of the customary and formal land management systems is to be realised. This is expected to enable a coordinated and systematic approach with one voice.

Knowledge of policies on land governance not only improves the way issues pertaining to land rights are handled; but also minimises waste of time and money lost on land conflict.

Mailo is a unique tenure system in central Uganda. It is divided into three parts: Kabaka’s Mailo, Official Mailo and Private Mailo. Private Mailo belongs to an individual, so-called landowner and it can be sold, subdivided or transmitted. Conflicts on private Mailo can occur between landowners & tenants, tenants & tenants, and landowners & landowners. A key challenge is that there is a lack of knowledge and transparency on land rights on both sides.

Mailo is a unique tenure system in central Uganda. It is divided into three parts: Kabaka’s Mailo, Official Mailo and Private Mailo. Private Mailo belongs to an individual, so-called landowner and it can be sold, subdivided or transmitted. Conflicts on private Mailo can occur between landowners & tenants, tenants & tenants, and landowners & landowners. A key challenge is that there is a lack of knowledge and transparency on land rights on both sides.

Land in Uganda is a delicate topic. About 80% of pending court cases in the country today are land related. One of Uganda’s tenure systems is the management of land according to customary tenure, especially in Northern Uganda, including the Teso sub-region. With its violent history, a rising population and increasing impact of climate  change on agriculture productivity, land rights in Teso are contested to this day. Due to its violent history and socio-cultural changes, less than 1% of customary land is officially registered.

Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) aims to achieve ecological integrity and enhance human well-being in deforested or degraded landscapes. Evidence shows that addressing gender equality and women’s rights is critical for addressing this dual objective. Against this backdrop, CIFOR and a number of partners hosted a Global Landscapes Forum workshop on FLR and gender equality in Nairobi, Kenya in November 2017.

Given their different roles, responsibilities, access to and control of resources, the costs and benefits of land restoration are likely to differ for men and women. Yet, many restoration projects fail to consider gender dimensions when designing their interventions. Efforts to restore agricultural lands are often knowledge- and labor-intensive, and risk increasing women’s already heavy workloads.

Many forest landscape projects around the world do not address gender gaps sufficiently. As a result, interventions may lead to outcomes that are not only inequitable, but also unsustainable. In response, the World Bank Group (WBG), Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN) and others, in partnership with civil society organizations, local and national governments, are increasingly supporting interventions that explicitly target gender-related inequalities.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a conceptual framework of 17 goals and 169 targets. An abundance of interlinkages exists between them. Land targets are core to achieving most of the SDGs including poverty eradication, food security, gender equality and empowerment of women, adequate housing and urban development, mitigating and adapting to climate change, reducing and preventing land degradation, and fostering peace and stability for prosperity.

The paper highlights the fast changes in understanding and conceptualizing the complex topic of land governance, its multi-facetted aspects and inter-linkages to other thematic sectors. Major policy developments, such as state divestiture and increasing private investment into land, and a stronger and more influential role of Civil Society Organizations are addressed in more detail. Capacity development at all levels (e. g. academic, administrative, community, private investors) is identified to be essential for good and transparent governance in the sector.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), in partnership with the Ugandan Ministry of Water and Environment, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as well as local governments and civil society organizations, have been working to address many of the climate-related issues in the Sanzara community by employing Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) with an integrated Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EBA) approach to maximize community climate resilience.

Licuri is a highly valuable tree species, both to local ecosystems and in traditional cultural uses, with a clear commercial niche. Its productive and sustainable uses are directly linked to ecosystem conservation and women’s empowerment—which is being further developed to great success. Project partners are working together to increase the mechanization of the licuri harvesting and production process, aiming to lessen the time-burden on women and enhance their livelihood potential.