As COVID-19 has hobbled governments around the world, environmental protections have diminished or disappeared altogether, leaving the door wide open for abuse, corruption, land grabs. Indigenous peoples and their territories are prime targets to pillage during this vulnerable period.

Indigenous Peoples and local communities manage more than half of the world´s land. These biodiverse ancestral lands are vital to the people who steward them and the planet we all share. But governments only recognize indigenous and community legal ownership of 10 percent of the world´s lands.  Secure tenure is essential for safeguarding the existing forests against external forces. This is specifically true for forests managed by Indigenous Peoples, where much of the world’s carbon is stored.

Wednesday, September 2nd, 9:00 AM-10:30 AM EST (3:00 PM – 4:30 PM CEST)

Three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses, meaning they can be transmitted from animals to humans, with Ebola, SARS, MERS and now COVID-19 being examples. Scientists are warning that deforestation, industrial agriculture, illegal wildlife trade, climate change and other types of environmental degradation increase the risk of future pandemics.

AIPP is celebrating this year's International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, 2020 by hosting a 3-day webinar from 5-7 August 2020.

On Day 2 (Thursday 6th August) there are two land-related sessions:

Join us for the Land Rights and COVID-19 webinar and discussion series, which is presented by Land Portal, Landesa, the Global Protection Cluster HLP AOR and GIZ, with organizing support from Environmental Peacebuilding Association, LANDac, New America and the UK's Department for International Development (DFID). 

The fourth edition of the India Land and Development Conference took place from 2-4 March, 2020, in New Delhi, India, and provided platforms for enriching and interdisciplinary conversations on how Institutions, Innovations and Information matter for influencing and impacting land governance.

How can formalization of collectively held land rights secure women’s rights?

The Community Land Act of 2016 provides a legal basis for protection, recognition and registration of community lands and has provisions for management and administration of the land by the communities themselves. However, implementation of the act has been slower than anticipated. This is despite the current heightened investment interests in community lands for mega development projects.

You are invited to join a lively festival devoted to building an open data community in East Africa and making the linkages between open data and land on May 8th from 5PM-9PM at IHUB.

This festival aims bring together local open data aficionados together with l experts from East Africa and beyond as well as international partners.