Together with the Academy on Land Governance for Equitable and Sustainable Development (Landac), KIT conducted studies on land governance for 15 partner countries of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To inform the debate on effective land policies in these countries, we produced a reference note and fact sheets that continue to be a source of information for Netherland’s embassies as well as national governments, researchers, and development organisations.

Mitigating for uncertainty

Land governance is the process of decision-making regarding access to and use of land and natural resources, and how conflicting interests are reconciled.

Uncertainty and disputes over land rights discourage investment and generate fear of conflict and eviction. The ability of women and men to produce food, and generate employment and income, requires secure access to land.

The aim of the note and fact sheets on food security and land governance is to facilitate the inclusion of land governance in the context analysis of the Netherlands’ embassies multi-annual strategic plans (MASP). Uncertainty and disputes over land rights discourage investment in infrastructure and innovation needed to increase production and sustainable management of the environment. It requires confidence that those making the efforts today will reap the benefits in the future.

The guidance note presents the influence of land governance on the “theory of change” and its implications for the analysis framework (e.g. policy context, legal framework and legal pluralism, stakeholders, political economy) and the result chains. The fact sheets provided country specific facts, references, links and resource persons to facilitate the integration of land governance in the MASP.