Neil Sorensen joined the Land Portal as its Communications Specialist in October 2015. He has extensive experience leading communications for international organizations and developing relationships with civil society, donors, intergovernmental agencies, the media and the private sector. Previously, Neil worked for the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) as a Governing Bodies Officer and Strategic Adviser to the Secretary of IFAD. He has also led communications for three international organizations, including the International Land Coalition, the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). He holds a Master’s degree in Global Diplomacy from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) as well as a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in German and Sociology from St. Cloud State University.
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Tanzania: Councils Directed to Set Funds for 'Own Land Use'
Thel government has ordered district councils countrywide to set aside some funds each fiscal year in order to finance "land use plans' resolutions" under them, especially in villages which are rapidly becoming urban areas. The Minister for Land, Housing and Human Settlement Development, Mr William Lukuvi, said the move would keep off sporadic land conflicts rocking the country.
China tries to reassure homeowners over land rights
Ministry tells urban owners that they won’t have to pay more after their land rights expire, but analysts say the issue must be clarified in a law
China’s land ministry has assured the country’s urban homeowners that they won’t have to pay extra money for their properties when their underlying land use rights expire, at least for now.
Job Opportunity: Senior researcher (legal tools, Natural Resources group)
Report: Debate on Open Data and Land Governance
Across most contexts, government data sources on land are largely inaccessible, from land administration data, such as parcel data and ownership information to land investments, contract data and even policy information. In considering data on property ownership specifically, the latest version of the Open Data Barometer shows only two countries, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, obtained a full 100% score on the topic of Land Ownership. When this land administration data is made available, it is commonly made public via a web portal rather than as open data.
Why land rights for indigenous peoples could be the answer to climate change
I’ve spent a lot of time with indigenous peoples in remote places. So when I argue that the best way – or at least the cheapest way – to stop climate change is to grant land rights to indigenous communities, you might suspect I’m not coming from an entirely objective viewpoint. You’ve probably also heard various industry spokespeople saying the best and cheapest way to stop climate change is through windfarms, solar panels, electric cars and cavity wall insulation. But while I may be biased, and may even have “gone native” now and then, I’m not trying to sell you anything.
The Violent Costs of the Global Palm Oil Boom
Just after nine o’clock on a Tuesday morning in June, an environmental activist named Bill Kayong was shot and killed while sitting in his pickup truck, waiting for a traffic light to change in the Malaysian city of Miri, on the island of Borneo. Kayong had been working with a group of villagers who were trying to reclaim land that the local government had transferred to a Malaysian palm-oil company.
Land Portal Launches Thematic Portfolios on Forest Tenure, Indigenous & Community Land Rights and Land & Gender
Dynamic thematic portfolios combine detailed narratives with Linked Open Data to provide comprehensive global overview
GRONINGEN (11 November, 2016) — Forest tenure, gender and land rights, and indigenous and community land rights are all key thematic areas related to land governance. For this reason, the Land Portal is launching the first three comprehensive thematic portfolios focused on these issues.
Amazon Land Rights Face Greatest Threat
Source: Climate News Network
Author: Jan Rocha
Ensuring forest people’s land rights in the Amazon region is a cheap and effective way of cutting both carbon emissions and deforestation, researchers say—but the obstacles are formidable.
Patriarchal attitudes stymie Kenya's laws to give women land rights
Source: Thomson Reuters Foundation
By: Caroline Wambui
Tabitha Karimi could barely hide her delight at the thought of a bumper harvest as she took part in training on how to farm with crops specially adapted to the region, after many years of poor harvests in Tharaka in eastern Kenya.