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Land and Conflict

Land and Conflict

Land and conflict can be studied from a number of angles. Land conflicts can arise due to unequal distribution of land, power inequalities, (large-scale) land grabbing, overlapping systems of norms and authorities, lack of access to justice, war, displacement,  violent claim-making and others. Learn more about land and conflict in this hub.


Learn more: LANDac Resources

Round table discussion on World Bank Flagship report: Land, Conflict and Inclusion (2019)

On the 4th of December, LANDac organised a round table discussion at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the draft outline of the World Bank Flagship Report Land, Conflict and Inclusion. Once the report is published, it will also appear here.


Land (MDPI) Special Issue ‘Land Governance from a Mobilities Perspective’ (2019) – War-Induced Displacement: Hard Choices in Land Governance

This LANDac special issue in Land (MDPI), compiled of contributions to the LANDac Annual International Conference 2018, sheds light onto the nature of relationships between land and people’s mobility, and its implications for land governance. The specific contribution by Gemma van der Haar and Mathijs van Leeuwen (2019) looks at war-induced displacement and the main challenges for land governance, summarized around three tensions: first, between short term conflict resolution and structural solutions; second, between state and customary/community-based governance; and finally, between principles (such as the right to return or restitution) and acknowledgement of the new situation. The paper (open access) is available here.

Ref: Van der Haar, G., & van Leeuwen, M. (2019). War-Induced Displacement: Hard Choices in Land Governance. Land, 8(6), 88. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land8060088


Land (MDPI) Special Issue ‘Land Governance from a Mobilities Perspective’ (2019) – Land Governance in Post-Conflict Settings: Interrogating Decision-Making by International Actors

This LANDac special issue in Land (MDPI), compiled of contributions to the LANDac Annual International Conference 2018, sheds light onto the nature of relationships between land and people’s mobility, and its implications for land governance. The specific contribution by David Betge (2019) reflects on the realities of working on land governance in post-conflict settings shaped by migration, ethnic division, power struggles and limited statehood. Using case examples from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Burundi, this paper reflects on the drivers of decisions around land governance in such contexts in a structured, theoretically informed way. The paper (open access) is available here.

Ref: Betge, D. (2019). Land Governance in Post-Conflict Settings: Interrogating Decision-Making by International Actors. Land, 8(2), 31. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land8020031


Oil and gas investments in Palma district, Mozambique. Findings from a local context and impact analysis (2019)

In 2018, Shared Value Foundation and LANDac jointly set out to assess developments around LNG investments in Northern Mozambique. First, the research project conducted in-depth local research in four communities that will be directly affected by future developments, the result of which can be found in this report. Second, the research project organised learning meetings with multiple stakeholders to stimulate learning and knowledge exchange between actors to, ultimately, better align local realities with the LNG investments. The report is based on data collected throughout the research project and 8 weeks of fieldwork in close collaboration with local field researchers. Read the report here.


Other Resources

UN – Land and Conflict: Toolkit and guidance for preventing and managing land and natural resources conflict (Executive summary) (no date)

The Guidance Note presents a framework to understand the relationship between land, conflict and international action at different stages of conflict and includes broad strategies to guide international support at different stages of the conflict cycle. Read the note here.


GLTN and partners – Land and Conflict: Lessons from the field on conflict sensitive land governance and peacebuilding (2018)

This book draws on nine cases from around the world of how land and conflict are being addressed: in Honduras, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Peru, Brazil and Colombia. The cases are drawn from different stages in the conflict cycle, from emergency, peace and stability operations, through recovery to development. They include both urban and rural settings, and situations involving extractives, food security, urban reconstruction and development. Read the book here.


Land Links (USAID) – Land and Conflict (2013)

Learn more about land and conflict on Land Links.


News Items

Picture top of page: Gaza. Photo: Natalia Cieslik / World Bank. No changes made.