News on Land

‘Arrest Land Degradation, Restore Ecosystem’, was one of the major discussions at the First G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group Meeting (ECSWG), held in Bengaluru.

Questions mount over the Xayaburi Dam’s changes to water and sediment flows as the river swallows farmers’ land.

Experts look at water-sensitive urban designs for Bhutan’s Cities

Minister pledges to "beat up" land mafia in Indonesia

Authorities have apparently confiscated vast swathes of land from the unpopular brother of Kazakhstan’s first president, with the ruling Amanat party keen to take the credit as parliamentary elections loom.

The article tells how the farmers in Chinyika, Gutu District, heavily affected by droughts, came up with a way to improve soil fertility by herding together their cattle. The collective action to address a problem that affects them all stands out in this story.

From Zimbabwe, Nhau Mangirazi tells the story of how beekeeping revives forest in the Hurungwe district, published by The Standard. Apiculture not only preserves the forest from tobacco farming – the main cause of deforestation in the area – and serves as a bio-fence acting as a buffer zone between humans and wild animals, it also brings an extra source of income to the locals, many of the beneficiaries women. 

• Reforestation using the Miyawaki method seeks to restore nature to its original state with results that can be seen in around six years.
• Miyawaki works around three concepts: trees should be native, several species should be randomly planted, and the materials for the seedlings and the soil should be organic.
• The method is suitable for urban areas, which gives it a significant capacity to connect human beings with nature, with benefits for the health and well-being of the population.
• Different from other reforestation methods that may seek a financial return, like agroforestry, the motivation of the Miyawaki method is purely ecological.