Location
About Us
We envision a world in which land governance systems, both formal and informal, are effective, accessible, and responsive for all. This is possible when land tenure and property rights are recognized as critical development issues and when the United States Government and its development partners demonstrate consistent attention and a firm commitment to supporting coordinated policies and programs that clarify and strengthen the land tenure and property rights of all members of society, enabling broad-based economic growth, gender equality, reduced incidence of conflicts, enhanced food security, improved resilience to climate change, and effective natural resource management.
Mission Statement
The USAID Land Tenure and Resource Management (LTRM) Office will lead the United States Government to realize international efforts—in accordance with the U.S. Government’s Land Governance Policy—to clarify and strengthen the land tenure and property rights of all members of society—individuals, groups and legal entities, including those individuals and groups that are often marginalized, and the LTRM Office will help ensure that land governance systems are effective, accessible, and responsive. We will achieve this by testing innovative models for securing land tenure and property rights and disseminating best practice as it relates to securing land rights and improving resource governance within the USG and our development partners.
Members:
Resources
Displaying 421 - 425 of 440Evaluation Research and Communication: Global
General
The purpose of the Evaluation, Research and Communication (ERC) project is to create, expand, and communicate the results of evidence-based knowledge around best land tenure and property rights practices in order to enhance internal USAID and external USG learning, guide program design and implementation, and make the most effective use of limited development resources to accomplish key USG development objectives. Activities will support achievement of intermediate result 1.2 under Strategic Objective 1 of the Climate Change and Development Strategy, which notes USAID support for “ensuring the rights and engagement of local and indigenous communities” in conjunction with a focus on improving tools and capacity for land-use planning to reduce deforestation. ERC will also support biodiversity conservation through collection and dissemination of evidence-based knowledge on how secure land tenure and property rights can incentivize sustainable land use and protection of valuable ecosystems including the forest, water and wildlife within them. Work conducted under ERC should adopt a multidisciplinary approach to learning that aligns with USAID’s Evaluation and Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policies and that communicates results of evaluation and research using innovative, creative methods that target key audiences. This work will also contribute to USAID Forward. Objectives Impact Evaluations: evaluate different modalities for land certification applied across Ethiopia Research: build on the existing body of USAID land tenure and property rights work and extend this base of knowledge; encourage debate around innovative models and competing hypotheses related to land tenure and property rights interventions and expected outcomes – challenge existing assumptions Communications: implement strategies to ensure that new knowledge and learning is incorporated into communications efforts, that new knowledge and learning feeds effectively into Land Tenure Division program design efforts, that this knowledge and learning is accessible to users of the Land Tenure Division’s communication products, and that communication efforts and knowledge management take advantage of creative and innovative approaches to conveying information to key target audiences including policy makers, development experts, Mission staff, civil society organizations, women and other vulnerable groups.
Integrated Development and Conservation in the Bolivian Amazon Project
General
The main purpose of the Integrated Bolivian Amazon Project is to provide direct support to promote protection, conservation and sustainable use of the region’s biodiversity and environmental goods and services; increase incomes and promote economic growth through sustainable use of biodiversity; strengthen participatory local governance to improve environmental management; and strengthen the capacity of national and sub-national government institutions to develop policies and technical tools that promote biodiversity conservation, mitigate the impacts of climate change and support sustainable economic development. The project focuses on 6 municipalities in Northern La Paz-Beni, and Santa Cruz selected for the importance of their biodiversity, their relatively high population densities and their interest and willingness to promote sustainable economic development. Objectives Strengthen local and municipal governance to improve biodiversity conservation efforts, environmental management, and increase resilience to climate change. Promote economic growth and increase incomes of local and indigenous communities and producer groups through sustainable use of natural resources, land-based production systems and improved commercialization and marketing links for related goods and services. Seek opportunities to scale-up the project’s results to regional and national levels. Outcomes More than 630,526 hectares of biological significance under improved natural resource management. Support provided by the project includes biodiversity conservation of 29 forestry species and 17 fauna species in a total area of 1.4 million hectares. More than 450,000 hectares under forestry management plans through 12 community forestry organizations. More than 6,700 people benefited directly from natural resources and biodiversity management activities. More than 1,700 direct and indirect jobs generated and more than $720.000 in sales.
Land Conflict Resolution Project: Liberia
General
The Land Conflict Resolution Project project will pilot dispute resolution methodologies, establish property rights inventories, develop clan-level Land Dispute Resolution (LDR) entities, promote the legal recognition of LDR, and raise awareness of land rights and LDR.
Land Reform in Afghanistan
General
The Land Reform in Afghanistan (LARA) project seeks to develop a robust, enduring, and Afghan-owned and managed land market framework that encourages investment and productivity growth, resolves/mitigates land-based conflict, and builds confidence in the legitimacy of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA). LARA provides technical assistance and support to GIRoA institutions that address land issues, particularly the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), the Supreme Court, and the Ministry of Urban Development Affairs (MUDA), and will create Afghan capacity to successfully design, manage, and implement needed land tenure reform for land market development. Objectives More secure property rights for Afghan citizens through improved institutional, policy, and legal systems Improved public awareness of and ability to exercise property rights, especially in vulnerable populations (women and minorities) Improved economic growth and increased private-sector investment Increased revenue to GIRoA from leases of government land Increased sanitation tax revenues at the municipal level Properties registered with municipal and Supreme Court registration offices Outcomes Established and piloted a model process for land rights formalization of informal settlement in Afghanistan. Mapped 100% of land parcels in Jalalabad; Completed a land parcel/household inventory of 2,780 land parcels covering 2 informal settlements in Jalalabad applying the model formalization process. Completed infrastructure upgrading activities in 2 informal settlements in Jalalabad. Established a Women’s Land Rights Task Force with leading Afghan men and women representing national and local government and civil society to advise LARA on land rights and inheritance issues affecting women in Afghanistan Supported women’s land rights conferences, training sessions and public information awareness campaigns that lead directly to the exercise inheritance rights by women which were successful Conducted gender-mainstreaming training within land administration institutions Installed Cadastral Data Management and Land Records Management systems within the Land Authority (ARAZI) and trained 805 government staff in key land management skills. Installed a Deeds Registry Archive Conversion System for Land Titles (to convert paper deeds into electronic format within a dedicated database) within the Supreme Court. Developed community-based dispute resolution guidelines and conducted associated training to communities and government institutions. Completed a BizCLIR analysis of Afghan laws and advised on the amendments to the Land Management Law and Cadastral Law. In consultation with GIRoA counterparts and key stakeholders, completed a series of maps of Jalalabad identifying donor and government investments in the city, and a Land Ownership Status Map identifying informal settlements that could be the target of project activities. Conducted Three Urban Planning Clinics in Jalalabad with government counterparts for the purposes of drafting a series of thematic maps representing land use, project use, Community Development Council (CDC) boundaries, environmental hazards, and gozar boundaries. Hosted a three-day Informal Settlements Upgrading and Formalization workshop with 140 leading stakeholders in land issues. The workshop was coordinated jointly with MUDA and the Kabul Urban Reconstruction Program. Using local and international partners, conducted and completed a Gender and Dispute Resolution Assessment in two informal settlements in Jalalabad. The data from the assessment has identified key strategies for approaching gender issues in the context of project activities in the selected informal settlements in Jalalabad. Identified and mapped key water networks and road infrastructure in Jalalabad city, in parallel to the assessment of infrastructure servicing targeted informal settlements. With a local subcontractor, conducted and completed a Socio-Economic and Housing Baseline Survey (SES) in Jalalabad involving over 400 household surveys. Completed institutional assessments for relevant Afghan institutions: MAIL/Arazi and AGCHO, MUDA, IDLG/GDMA, and the Supreme Court insofar as their respective activities touch land administration. Completed a Business Climate Legal and Institutional Reform (BizCLIR) Assessment of Real Estate. Supported and contributed to MAIL/Arazi’s national training seminar on land leasing and other land policy-related issues that was attended by over 160 staff.
Sudan Rural Land and Governance Project
General
The Sudan Rural Land and Governance (SRLG) project is a follow-on project to the Sudan Property Rights Program (SPRP), which assisted the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) to develop a draft land policy based on extensive public consultation and research, as well as provided support to build the capacity of the South Sudan Land Commission (SSLC). The Sudan Rural Land and Governance project helps to harmonize the land policy with the 2009 Land Act, supports two selected States and two Counties governments for more effective land administration and planning. The goal of this project is to define and establish rural land governance institutions and processes so as to promote property rights, encourage sound land use management, mitigate conflict, reduce the potential for rural landowners to be divested of their land, and to encourage broad based participation in future land allocation, management, and investment decisions.