The contribution of sustainable land governance to local economic development in climate-induced regions

In challenging socio-economical contexts, climate change effects are even more visible and need urgent solutions. Vulnerable populations are more dependant on the environment and less able to cope with the damage caused by climate change, thus run a higher risk of being affected by it.  As land is a prerequisite to both human and economic activities, land governance is essential for development and growth. Sustainable land governance is not only strongly linked to economic development, but can also influence climate change resilience and adaptation strategies, by looking into existing unsustainable practices which lead to land degradation and excessive exploitation.

"The contribution of sustainable land governance to local economic development in climate-induced regions" looks into the impact of sustainable land governance on local economic development in Nigerian and sub-Saharan African cities, in relation to climate change effects. The course will be relevant to all NFP alumni who work on issues linked to the accessibility of land to the poor, equal land rights for women, the role of government, knowledge institutions, private sector and inclusive communities in equitable land governance and development, as well as issues on climate change adaptation and mitigation. This will be a good opportunity to not only refresh concepts previously learned, but also to assimilate new developments & trends in the field, and to utilise them in practice, to address real-life issues through the action planning workshop. Alumni are allowed to invite colleagues, if well motivated and to a limited extent. Check the application conditions on the eligibility criteria page and submit your application here before September 25.

The refresher course will teach participants how they can implement more sustainable land governance in their working context while simultaneously adapting to changing climatic circumstances. The participants will learn how to apply the Climate Actions Prioritisation Tool (CLIMACT Prio), a tool developed by IHS to support urban policymakers and local stakeholders to make climate action decisions. Through Action Planning, the participants will have the chance to apply what they learned by developing policy interventions and recommendations. The course is coordinated by Ore Fika, Elena Marie Ensenado and Charmae Nercua and will be implemented in cooperation with University of Lagos, Women’s Environmental Programme (WEP), Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development and Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and finally Social & Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC).

IHS regularly organises regional refresher courses for its alumni, with support from NUFFIC. The goal of these courses is to refresh knowledge of alumni on previously studied issues, by bringing insights on international policy practices in the field and issues that have emerged since their participation in IHS courses. The course is a sub-programme of the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP), and eligible participants have to be Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP)/Netherlands Fellowship Programme (NFP) alumni from Nigeria and neighbouring OKP/NFP countries.