Land in Cameroon is under growing pressure for many reasons — powerful commercial interests, changing climate conditions and shifting demographic flows including mass migration and increasing population density. The rights of rural communities and indigenous people to access and use land for farming and grazing have been eroded — primarily due to failure to recognise customary land tenure rights, land use conflicts and lack of effective local governance. The country’s land legislation is indeed outdated and not compatible with customary law and local realities.
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Showing items 1 through 9 of 9.-
Library ResourcePolicy Papers & BriefsJune, 2020Cameroon
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchNovember, 2017Cameroon
This brief study has been produced by the partners of the CoNGOs consortium to share our different knowledge and experience, and to set out a joint understanding of the current state of play in relation to community forestry in Cameroon.
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Library ResourcePolicy Papers & BriefsJanuary, 2018Cameroon
Cameroon is part of a global trend towards large-scale investments in infrastructure, agriculture, extractive industries, industrial facilities and real estate that are displacing many people. Deeming these projects in the public interest, governments often acquire land by expropriating locally-held land rights. But compulsory land acquisition has severe economic, social and cultural impacts for families and communities.
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Library ResourcePolicy Papers & BriefsJuly, 2019Cameroon
Cameroon’s current land law appears to have two conflicting objectives: to attract investors through large-scale land concessions while simultaneously protecting biodiversity, defending local people’s rights and promoting rural development. But the legislation governing large-scale land-based investments is outdated and sometimes incoherent. The land allocation process is investor driven and does not appropriately balance economic, social or environmental considerations.
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchJanuary, 2014Global
This report draws on 10 case studies of recent large-scale land deals and aims to improve understanding of the investment chains that underpin the deals, and to identify ‘pressure points’ for effective public action to ensure that investments respond to local and national development agendas and promote inclusive sustainable development. The findings of this research demonstrate the wide scope for strategies to be targeted at diverse actors, by a wide range of players, to ensure that investments uphold the Voluntary Guidelines (VGGT).
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Library ResourceJournal Articles & BooksMarch, 2017Global
This article reflects on the Tenure Guidelines as a tool for addressing resource governance challenges. It outlines the process through which the Tenure Guidelines were developed and reviews key features of their content, and then focuses on two issues: the legal significance of the VGGT, and the nature of initiatives to advance their implementation.
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Library ResourceJournal Articles & BooksReports & ResearchJanuary, 2018Global
From the mid-2000s, a commodity boom underpinned a wave of land use investments in low- and middle-income countries. While agribusiness, mining and petroleum concessions often involve promises of jobs and public revenues, they have also prompted concerns about land dispossession, exclusionary investment models and infringements of the rights of vulnerable groups.
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Library ResourcePolicy Papers & BriefsSeptember, 2013Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia
Large-scale land acquisitions are increasing in pace and scale, in particular across parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Weak governance and poor land use planning mean that commercial ‘land grabs’ often damage biodiversity as well as dispossessing people from customary rights and livelihoods. Land can also be ‘grabbed’ for ‘green’ purposes, triggering conflicts that undermine potential synergies. Expanded state protected areas, land for carbon offset markets and REDD, and for private conservation projects all potentially conflict with community rights.
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Library ResourceReports & ResearchDecember, 2016Tanzania
Despite progressive provisions on gender equality in Tanzania’s land laws, women have little representation in land allocation decisions, including meetings of village councils and village assemblies. Mainstreaming gender in local regulations can help to address this problem.
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