Climate justice experts awarded £1.3m to study land rights impact
16 Dec 2024
Researchers at the Global Development Institute (GDI) to establish a research observatory studying the role land rights play in a just transition to a decarbonised future.
Researchers at the Global Development Institute (GDI) have been awarded c£1.3 million by the Ford Foundation to establish a research observatory studying the role land rights play in a just transition to a decarbonised future.
A team of GDI researchers will lead the observatory’s activities alongside co-investigators at the University of Ghana, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, and the Federal University of Pará in Brazil.
Teams at the respective institutions will explore if, how, and under what socioeconomic and political conditions land rights reduce inequalities experienced by communities. They will also examine the environmental benefits in forest landscapes affected by decarbonisation processes. The observatory will specifically address a lack of knowledge surrounding the role of land rights in simultaneously conserving forests, securing livelihood benefits, and advancing decarbonisation agendas.
Dr Johan Oldekop, Reader in Environment and Development and joint principal investigator for the project, explains: “We are seeing increasing competition for land to support rights for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), nature conservation and restoration, as well as mining linked to the green energy transition. Understanding how these demands intersect, and how communities can benefit while forests are protected and restored is essential to support more just environmental futures.”
His fellow joint principal investigator, Dr Charis Enns, Presidential Fellow in Socio-Environmental Systems, added: “Rural land lies at the very centre of the energy transition, which creates both opportunities and risks for land-dependent communities and for nature. Through our engaged and responsive research design, we look forward to co-producing knowledge and policy-relevant outputs with partner organisations that can guide and build momentum for just rural transitions.”
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