The Safety Net of Land: Landesa's 2020 Annual Report released

ONLINE—We are pleased to share Landesa's 2020 Annual Report. This year's report highlights the role of land rights as a safety net, with stories from around the globe demonstrating how land rights have helped families and communities remain resilient during the pandemic. 

The stories shared in this report from Myanmar are part of last year's work. The recent headlining news events have shifted our priorities in that country to the safety and wellbeing of our employees there. All of us at Landesa are hopeful we can continue to support the people of Myanmar in an environment of peace and stability.

Beyond the individuals features in our stories, over 490 million people stand to benefit from better laws and policies designed with input from Landesa last year. Over the past year, we have had important gains in growing our corporate engagement projects, working on youth land rights, and deepening our understanding of the intersection of land rights and climate change. 

EXPLORE THE ANNUAL REPORT

Seed the Change on March 18

GLOBAL—Please join us at Seed the Change, Landesa’s virtual gala! This year's program will focus on the growing importance of Landesa’s climate justice work, including a keynote address from former US Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. Gather with other land rights champions from the comfort of your home on March 18th at 5:30 PDT – tickets are now available for purchase here. Please contact us at events@landesa.org with any questions.

GET TICKETS

IN DEPTH

We can’t tackle climate change without indigenous people

By Rachel McMonagle, Climate Change and Land Tenure Specialist at Landesa

REUTERS—While much of the Biden administration’s work will be centered on cutting emissions at home, the U.S. is in a unique position to drive progress abroad. President Biden oversees billions in foreign assistance—dollars that can be leveraged to help low- or middle-income nations meet their climate targets while building climate resilience for millions of people.

A rights-based approach to conservation is the only way to ensure that climate change solutions protect people and the planet; and indeed, human rights, biodiversity and healthy ecosystems often go hand-in-hand.

Instead of marginalizing or overlooking Indigenous communities, our solutions to climate change should put their rights and expertise at the forefront. Though they comprise just 5% of the global population, Indigenous Peoples safeguard approximately 80% of the planet’s biodiversity.

READ THE FULL OP-ED

Landesa in the news

Staff Spotlight: Rachel McMonagle

Rachel McMonagle is Landesa's Climate Change and Land Tenure Specialist. She is based in the U.S. and joined Landesa in July 2020.

What inspires your work with Landesa?
I think a lot of NGOs create an unproductive artificial separation between their work on poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. I love that Landesa embraces the complexities of climate change and seeks out win-win solutions that benefit both the environment and local communities. It is inspiring to support the human elements of land tenure work and contribute to climate mitigation and adaptation at the same time.

READ RACHEL'S INTERVIEW

EXPLORE OUR WORK ON CLIMATE CHANGE