Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls” recognizes the fundamental role of women in achieving poverty reduction, food security and nutrition.
This study draws on some case studies of land reforms in different South Asian countries. These reforms came on the national and international agenda in a major way in the post- World-War II period and were led by the transition theory, requiring agriculture to provide both surplus and labor for the growth of a modern industrial economy and leading to focus on efficiency in agricultural production (which would release resources -capital and labor- for investment in the modern industrial sector), rather than on distribution.
The history of modern land management and administration in Cambodia begins with French initiatives in the late 19th century. The first Civil Code was adopted in 1920 and it established a system of French land law that recognized private property rights. Some traditional Cambodian rights, in particular that of creating a land right simply by occupation and possession, were included in the Civil Code. During the 1960s there was an adequate system of land management, including confirmation of private property rights with land records including cadastral maps and land titles.
In recent years, local people and rural communities have assumed increasing prominence in strategies for natural resource management.This paper briefly reviews some of the central legal issues that are associated with this shift. In doing so, its goals are limited. It does not ad dress fundamental questions about when, where and what kind of management works, nor attempt to identify the political, social, economic and environmental ingredient s for success – subjects on which there is a huge, if still inconclusive, literature.
The « Environment and Natural Resources Code of Cambodia » (Sixth Draft – – 20 November 2016) is a very extensive proposed law (535 pages !) which will have, if adopted, major impacts on many aspects of Cambodian development (Mines, Energy, Urban planning, etc..) but is particularly important for the management of Protected Areas and of Forests and Fisheries. The code has been elaborated by a panel of experts and several working groups led by Vishnu Law Group. A public national consultation has been organized by MOE in Dec 2016.
All four countries in continental South-East Asia featured in this paper (Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) are experiencing land conflicts that could potentially destabilise their governments.1 Thailand is in a similar situation in many respects, as it has faced mounting tensions over land tenure since the 1990s (Hall et al., 2011). These conflicts are escalating, sometimes violent, and are attracting more and more attention from the media. They have mobilized numerous local and international NGOs, and often triggered the development of an increasingly visible national civil society.
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