Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IP & LCs) collectively manage a staggering 50% of
the world’s land and hold 80% of the world’s biodiversity and 22% of the world’s total carbon in
forests. Yet, shockingly, only 10% of their lands are legally recognized and protected.
A new publication titled "The Role of Metadata and Open Data in the Innovation Cycle of Land Administration" puts the spotlight on this dynamic domain. This publication offers valuable insights into the significance of open data and structured metadata, and how they can revolutionize land administration processes worldwide. By delving into the core principles of open data and metadata, this publication offers a comprehensive understanding of how these tools can be leveraged to foster innovation and drive positive change in the land governance sector.
The State of Land Data: Transforming Africa Into a Powerhouse of the Future" took place on June 22 and featured five speakers. The event was organized by a team of organizations including the Land Portal Foundation, NELGA, GIZ and German Cooperation.
The event “Mainstreaming the Land Rights of the Rural Poor in the Climate Agenda” took place on June 6th, 2023 and featured three speakers. The event was organized by a consortium of organizations, including the Land Portal Foundation, the Global Forum on Agricultural Research and Innovation (GFAR), the Asian NGO Coalition (ANGOC) and Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD).
En tant que défenseur des données foncières ouvertes, la Fondation Land Portal vise à améliorer l'accès aux données foncières, à engager les parties prenantes et à soutenir les actions qui favorisent l'ouverture des données. J'ai récemment eu l'occasion de présenter l'indice SOLIndex (State of Land Information index) et de parler du guide Open Up lors de la réunion des partenaires du Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) à Nairobi, et de montrer comment ces outils jouent un rôle essentiel dans l'amélioration de l'accès à l'information foncière.
Under the umbrella of the Land Dialogues series, the second webinar of this year’s series “Indigenous Land Rights and the Biodiversity COP15: Six Months On” took place on May 25th, 2023. The webinar drew in a little over 350 participants and featured panelists from Indigenous women leaders to programme officers. The series is organized by a consortium of organizations, including the Land Portal Foundation, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Tenure Facility.
As an advocate for open land data, the Land Portal Foundation aims to improve access to land data, engage stakeholders, and support actions that promote data openness. I recently had the opportunity to introduce the State of Land Information Index (SOLIndex) and talk about the Open Up Guide at the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) Partners’ Meeting in Nairobi and show how these tools play a vital role in improving access to land information.
The Land Portal Foundation, as a non-profit organization operating at the intersection of the open data and land governance communities, has been privileged over the past 5-8 years to be in a position to observe some interesting trends affecting the land governance data landscape.
The issue of land tenure and governance is one of the most complex and multifaceted challenges that face policymakers and practitioners in the development field. This is especially true when it comes to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as there are more than a dozen land-related indicators housed over five SDG goals, with data maintained by different custodian agencies.
1. Can you tell us how you became so engaged in the Land Portal? Why were you so committed to the development of Land Portal over the years?
I have worked on land rights for two and a half decades, so to be engaged with the Land Portal was a natural and organic progression, especially given the increasing important role of knowledge and information sharing in defending and ensuring people’s rights to land.
Under the umbrella of theLand Dialogues series, the first webinar of this year’s series “Taking Data Back: Women’s Sovereignty Over Land Data” took place on March 30th, 2023. The webinar drew in a little over 220 participants and featured panelists from Indigenous women leaders to programme officers. The series is organized by a consortium of organizations, including the Land Portal Foundation, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Tenure Facility.
The Land Portal and Both Ends capped the popular Whose Land? webinar series with a final webinar on inclusive financing that drew over 300 participants on 2 March 2023. "Inclusive finance for land governance: A conversation with donors” featured donors from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Both ENDS, Global Fund for Community Foundations, and Tenure Facility, as well as a diversity, equity, and inclusion expert.
