By Solina Kennedy
September 20, 2019

In this interview, the second of the Climate Crisis, Global Land Use and Human Rights series, Julie Maldonado, Associate Director at Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN) and Co-Director of Rising Voices: Climate Resilience through Indigenous and Earth Sciences, discusses the importance of centering Indigenous wisdom and perspectives and relational-based approaches in the pursuit of just climate change actions.

Date: September 12, 2019, 10am-11:30am EST/4pm-5:30pm CEST
Location: Online

By Solina Kennedy
September 2, 2019

In this interview, the first of the Climate Crisis, Global Land Use and Human Rights series, Annie Signorelli, Project Manager for Renewable Energy and Human Rights at the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), discusses the critical need for embedding human rights, especially those of indigenous communities, within the renewable energy sector, and the hurdles faced in pursuing environmental justice without compromising human rights.

By Sam Szoke-Burke and Kaitlin Y. Cordes
August 30, 2019

High global demand for land and natural resources has made protection of community lands and natural resources an urgent priority, particularly in countries with little or no legal protection for community land rights. Increased and smarter financing is urgently needed to meet affected communities’ justice and support needs.

By Nathan Lobel
August 20, 2019

The climate crisis will reshape our relationships to land around the world. Journalist David Wallace-Wells warns that, once the planet warms 2°C above preindustrial levels — the target set by the Paris Agreement — “major cities in the equatorial band of the planet will become unlivable,” and 400 million more people will suffer from regional water scarcity. At 3°C of warming — the expected result of Paris Agreement policy pledges by 2100 — world agriculture systems could struggle to meet global caloric demand and droughts are projected to plague much of India and Pakistan, the Mediterranean, Central America, the western United States, and Australia. At 4°C, closer to where current policies will lead us by the century’s close, rising seas could swallow land currently occupied by 470 to 760 million people.

If a company wants to use a community’s land for eucalyptus plantations, the community should think carefully about whether this is a good idea. Civil society organizations that support communities can use this briefing to help communities understand the potential environmental impacts the community should be aware of. The briefing explains plantation forestry and the… read more

Date: June 11-21, 2019
Location: Columbia University

Land contracts (also known as investor-state contracts, or concession agreements) show what commitments a forestry, farming or renewable energy company has made and what the government has said the company can do on the land. These promises define the positive and harmful effects the company’s project could have on community members’ livelihoods and human rights,… read more

In this alumni profile, Mary Ndaro, Coordinator for Ardhi Yetu program at CARE International, Tanzania, and a 2017 Executive Training alumnus, addresses women’s land rights, capacity building for civil society organizations, and grassroots engagement around land policies and investments.

Communities affected by agricultural, forestry, and other resource investments urgently need increased funding for legal and technical support. Without support, communities risk losing access to critical land and resources, suffering human rights violations, or missing opportunities to benefit from investments. A lack of community support can also lead to conflict and challenges that are damaging… read more