EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES TO ADDRESS LAND GOVERNANCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
Land has become a complex and highly contested commodity, attracting diverse and often competing interests within society. Governments require land to build roads, affordable housing, and to support agricultural projects. The private sector also demands land for investment purposes, claiming that their activities will benefit local communities. At the same time, communities themselves need land for small-scale agriculture to sustain their livelihoods. Additionally, individual community members seek land to build homes, often leading to conflict.
Given that land conflicts almost seem inevitable, Land for Life, with funding from BMZ through WHH, continues to educate communities on how they can collectively address land disputes while also tackling food security and environmental challenges. However, the reality is that Land for Life and other civil society organizations (CSOs) cannot always be present to resolve these issues. It is now time for community elders, including women, to come together, reflect on their challenges, and find collective, sustainable solutions.
In Tonkolili District, where Land for Life works with its partner organisation, the Forum for Human Rights and Development (FoHRD), ten communities from three chiefdoms are being trained on various approaches to addressing land issues and engaging private investors who are currently using their land for various investments.
