Land Resource Governance from a Sustainability and Rural Development Perspective

This paper reviews the key issues with regard to land resource governance and its dimensions in terms of sustainability and rural development. It explains the links between these areas and the related research and policy implications. It concludes by recommending the required priority actions at the global and country level to move the land resource governance agenda forward within the perspective of promoting sustainability and development of the rural areas and communities. The paper presumes that the land resource governance is expected to remain a key area of national and international engagement in the near future, especially in the context of climate change and food crisis, because the access to land is becoming ever more relevant for livelihood enhancement, food security, and rural development. Moreover, the poor land governance and policies that undermine tenure security often tend to diminish investments and encourage unsustainable practices of land management that generate short-term gains at the cost of social and environmental balance. Based on this, pro-poor, democratic and sustainable governance solutions are urgently required that respect and strengthen the tenure rights and security for smallholder farmers, pastoralists, forest dependent people and indigenous people.