ILDC 2023 - Day 1 Agenda
The dynamics of land relations are undergoing a transformative shift in response to the multifaceted challenges posed by climate change. This abstract explores the intricate landscape of this transition, emphasizing the crucial interplay between agriculture, renewable energy, forests, technology, and livelihoods within the realm of land relations.
Climate change has ushered in an era of uncertainty, altering traditional land use practices. As global temperatures rise and extreme weather events become more frequent, agricultural systems are adapting to new realities. Farmers are adopting climate-resilient practices, diversifying crops, and experimenting with sustainable agriculture. The interaction between land and agriculture is evolving to mitigate climate-related risks.
Renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, are gaining prominence on agricultural lands. Farmers are not only producing food but also generating clean energy. This synergy is essential for achieving sustainable development goals while reducing carbon emissions.
Forests are vital carbon sinks and biodiversity hotspots. Climate change has put a spotlight on reforestation, afforestation, and sustainable forest management. The intricate relationship between land and forests influences climate resilience and carbon sequestration.
Technology plays a pivotal role in optimizing land use. Precision agriculture, remote sensing, and data analytics are empowering land managers to make informed decisions. These tools enhance productivity, reduce environmental impacts, and support sustainable land use.
The livelihoods of millions are intertwined with these transitions. Farmers, foresters, and rural communities are at the forefront of climate adaptation efforts. Equitable land relations are crucial to ensuring that these transitions benefit all, especially vulnerable populations.
In conclusion, the interconnection of agriculture, renewable energy, forests, technology, and livelihoods within the context of land relations is pivotal in the fight against climate change. Adapting to the evolving climate landscape while fostering sustainability and equity is a multifaceted challenge that requires a holistic approach. This abstract highlights the importance of understanding and addressing these complex interrelations for a more sustainable and resilient future.
As the overlapping crisis around climate change, biodiversity loss and resource degradation get increasingly complex and far-reaching, there is a need to explore new pathways in which natural resources are sustainably conserved and managed. The way resources such as forests, water, and natural habitats are conserved, can have a positive impact on ecosystem services, improve air and water quality and ensure livelihood security for rural communities. To grapple such critical issues, digital technology has started to play a critical role in the past few years. There is growing evidence on how these technologies can enable community participation, shape perceptions around conservation and strengthen engagement strategies at the human-environment interface. Further, technology has also taken a leading role in considering the rights of local communities, and offers a plethora of possibilities to engage diverse groups of stakeholders, leverage place-based knowledge and reward community participation in activities which directly affect them.
For instance, civil society actors, research organisations have already initiated efforts to equip communities with better information for community-led planning, monitoring and decision-making, with technology acting as a boundary object that mediate between different cultures or communities. Mobile-based applications built to strengthen locally-owned monitoring mechanisms don’t just acknowledge the role of local communities as stewards, but also elevate their contribution by embedding local visions, aspirations, goals, and needs in these processes. By leveraging an easy-to-use interface, and sharing analysis is a simplified format, community-based tools analyse and transform data to create meaningful representations, and drive evidence-based change from below.
In this session the panellists will explore various facets of this topic, from tools that enable community stewardship, to implementing effective monitoring through collective action and natural resource governance. Discussions will focus on the following questions:
• How can digital tools affect change on the ground?
• What is the role of community members and local knowledge in designing such tools?
• How do we address the protocols around data sovereignty and ensure the advancement of CARE principles (collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, ethics) in a way these tools function?
The idea will be to have a discussion amongst bureaucrats on their experience of land issues in the regions they have worked in, in any capacity. They can illuminate one or more aspects of some good practices implemented by them (or others) or lay out the emerging issues in land-related reforms identifying specific causes of these problems. Potential solutions and possible roadmap for land reforms is another aspect the Panelists can dwell upon. Since the audience will comprise of scholars and practitioners interested in land issues, informing them about issues that are faced by the bureaucracy rountinely but have not yet penetrated the public policy and research lexicon (like Rurban challenge) will be particularly useful. There is much to learn from the experience of bureaucracy, and therefore, if the Panelists can surface their stories of success and challenges, it will add greatly to the ongoing conversations. These stories can be state-level of even District/Panchayat levels, but the main idea would be to draw some research inspiration from these.
Efficiency, transparency, and inclusivity in land administration are imperative for achieving sustainable development. The session delves into the transformative potential of technology and digitization in revolutionizing land records and administration processes. It highlights how modern tools such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), blockchain technology, and online platforms can enhance the efficiency of land management, reduce corruption, and bolster transparency.
However, the session also underscores the critical challenges that accompany the digitization of land records. It emphasizes the need to address the digital divide to ensure equitable access to land data. Privacy concerns and the necessity of robust cybersecurity measures in land records are acknowledged as vital components of digitization efforts.
Furthermore, the session will bring to the fore the intricate relationship between class and caste dynamics and the digitization of land records; how digitization can either exacerbate existing inequalities or serve as a means to rectify historical injustices.
Urban governance is another critical aspect of the session, focusing on the unique challenges posed by urbanization. Informal settlements, land tenure security, and land-use planning in rapidly growing urban areas will be explored, emphasizing the need for inclusive land administration in urban governance frameworks.
The global transition to renewable energy (RE) sources is a vital response to the urgent challenge of climate change. India has also set ambitious targets of generating 500 GW of electric power from RE sources by the year 2030. However, this vision is tethered to a colossal demand for land. Projections indicate that by 2050, India will require 50,000-75,000 km2 for solar and 1,500-2,000 km2 for direct wind infrastructure. Existing policy measures within the RE sector are designed to stimulate deployment, attract investments, and maximise value creation. For instance, solar and wind power generation are exempt from environmental clearances under the EIA Notification 2006. States have also been directed to create action plans, particularly concerning land acquisition, to help India reach its 2030 targets.
However, as these RE technologies are deployed at scale, rapid changes in land use can bring about unforeseen costs. India’s finite land resources face governance issues such as land misclassification, fragmentation, unclear titles, a lack of transparency in transactions, and insufficient recognition of customary tenure. This can intensify the challenges of the transition to renewables. For instance, areas that are ideal for solar radiation throughout the year often coincide with officially designated ‘wastelands’ that are deemed fit for diversion due to their inhospitable terrain and perceived low economic value. Paradoxically, these ‘wastelands’ are often used as common lands by rural communities, with around 70% of India’s open natural ecosystems overlapping with them. Misidentification of land can thus spawn environmental concerns, such as habitat fragmentation or disruption of bird migration patterns. Simultaneously, lack of engagement with affected communities may breed social conflicts, impacting the socio-economic fabric of the communities and the financial viability of projects.
Conversely, if managed with sensitivity, RE projects have the potential to make positive contributions to the regions where they are situated. They can stimulate employment opportunities in areas where livelihoods are precarious, while promoting economic stability by supporting farm-based livelihoods. Additionally, these projects frequently nurture collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including government agencies, panchayats and private developers, and have the potential to create sustainable land management practices. Moreover, the technology itself enables decentralised energy production, empowering local communities to take control of their energy sources and reduce energy poverty.
For enduring success of RE initiatives, a balance must be struck between the need for swift action and comprehensive planning that considers the broader environmental, social, and economic implications. In this context, the panel will discuss and provide insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society to address concerns around land governance for a more just transition. The outcome will include recommendations and best practices for integrating land considerations into RE policy and decision-making, promoting a more sustainable and harmonious coexistence of RE projects with other land uses and ecosystems.
Deliberations
• What are the key issues and on-ground challenges while siting RE projects in India?
• How do India’s diverse land tenure systems impact the RE transition? What strategies can be employed to effectively navigate the complexities?
• What approaches can foster meaningful engagement with local communities dependent on common lands, to ensure their participation in decision-making processes?
• What policies and regulatory frameworks are needed to support the responsible siting and deployment of RE projects? How can governments and regulatory bodies promote transparency and accountability within the RE sector?
• For a just transition, how can collaborations between the State, developers, investors and civil society organisations be strengthened?
• What lessons can be learned from global experiences in collaborative governance and stakeholder management in RE siting and development? Can they be adapted to the Indian context?
The topic of “Women and Land Relations: Data and Technology” highlights the intricate landscape of gender dynamics and the evolving role of data and technology in women’s access to land and land rights within the realm of land relations.
Gender disparities in land relations have long been a pervasive issue, but advancements in data and technology are reshaping this landscape. The session delves into the complexities of digital empowerment for women, examining how technology can be a powerful tool for bridging gender gaps in land ownership and access.
A central focus of the discussion is women’s land rights. The session emphasizes the importance of recognizing and protecting these rights, which are often overlooked or disregarded in traditional land administration systems. Data and technology can play a critical role in documenting and advocating for women’s land rights, offering them a stronger footing in the realm of land relations.
Access to institutional support and resources is another critical theme. The session discusses how technology can facilitate women’s access to government programs, financial services, and legal aid related to land matters, thereby empowering them to assert their land rights and participate more actively in land-related decision-making processes.
Online forums, platforms and portals have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly around social and ecological issues. These platforms highlight a variety of transdisciplinary issues, and provide ideational spaces to share values, narratives, evidence and stories. They assemble a diverse sample of communities-at-large, and allow them to mutually consider a range of options that appeal directly to their core interests and find ways to propel that dialogue. Further, such online spaces aim to meaningfully engage with a diverse socio-economic and cultural constituencies across generations. As we reimagine these digital spaces, it is also essential that they evolve while developing a community of relationships. Being open to all, without any barriers, such spaces nurture direct contact between communities, researchers and practitioners.
This panel session on digital platforms will bring together individuals from research and practice around digital commons, platforms, networks and communities to discuss how digital forums and platforms give impetus for conversations around natural resources (such as land, forests, water etc), biodiversity, ecosystem services and stewardship practices. It will focus on the power of digital spaces to shape community engagement to catalyse bottom-up change and enable rural communities, practitioners and researchers to learn from each other and collaborate effectively. Each panellist will share experiences around designing online spaces for facilitating extensive and vibrant conversations, and then engage in an open discussion.
Topic(s) for panel discussion
1. How do digital spaces expand possibilities for exchanging ideas on socio-ecological issues?
2. What are the strategies to facilitate conversations that promote exploration, curiosity and scientific enquiry?
3. How to design spaces which are deeply inclusive, capable of promoting exchanges and generating encounters?
4. What are the challenges around digital privacy, inclusion and access?
The topic of “Land and Literacy” underscores the significance of formal education in addressing land-related issues, especially in conflict settings, and promoting land awareness. This session provides a concise overview of the key themes to discuss within the context of awareness, capacity building around land relations.
Formal education plays a crucial role in building a deeper understanding of land-related matters, both as a means of conflict prevention and as a tool for promoting land awareness. This session highlights the pivotal role of education in equipping individuals and communities with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate complex land issues.
In conflict settings, access to education focused on land-related topics can contribute to conflict resolution and prevention. It provides a platform for fostering dialogue, understanding differing perspectives, and seeking peaceful resolutions to land disputes. The session emphasizes that education can be a powerful instrument in mitigating the root causes of land-related conflicts.
FRA-2006 is the landmark legislation which aims for more democratic and decentralized forest governance through recognition of individual (IFR) and community forest right (CFR).
However, the implementation of the act presents an altogether different story. Potential of the law and its provisions are still not known to majority of the tribal communities, CSOs and even implementing authorities. Officials who are responsible for informing communities about the act , are themselves ignorant about the details of the act and the processes to be followed.
Forest Department is systematically & continuously obstructing implementation of the FRA, especially the CFR. It is often creating hurdles like restricting the scope of the CFR by reducing the area claimed by the communities and also curtailing purview of the collective rights. In many states , the Forest Department is keeping protected areas out from the realm of CFR.
Sometimes, conflicts within the community like individual encroachments and boundary disputes among villages are also a major impediment in the implementation of the CFR at grassroots.
Post CFR scenario is equally grim. Gram Sabhas are not aware of their responsibilities to protect and manage the forest area over which collective rights have been conferred to them. In many places, we see that the Forest Department continues to undertake development activities in the CFR areas without consulting the concerned Gram Sabhas . This is against the spirit of the act.
In spite of these challenges, many tribal communities/ Gram Sabhas with the support of CSOs have successfully worked out plans to protect, manage and sustain their CFR areas. In these villages, democratic and normative governance of forests has improved livelihood of the forest dwelling communities apart from restoration of forest eco systems. These experiences can definitely help us in deeply understand ways of community based governance of forest areas under the CFR.
This session proposal seeks to address the critical issue of food and land use transformation, focusing on the delicate balance between inclusion, health, and environmental sustainability. As the global population continues to grow, and the world faces increasing environmental challenges, it is imperative to reimagine and reshape our approach to food production and land use. This session will explore innovative strategies and actionable insights to achieve a sustainable and equitable transformation while promoting human well-being.
Session Objectives:
− Explore the interconnection between food and land use transformation, social inclusion, health, and economic costs of transition.
− Showcase case studies and practical solutions that highlight the benefits of a sustainable food and land use system.
− Discuss policies and frameworks that can help create an inclusive, healthy, and economically viable food and land use transformation pathway.
− Address the challenges and trade-offs that need to be considered in this transformation process.
Agenda:
Welcome and introduction of the session’s goals and objectives. Ranjan Kumar Ghosh, IIMA (5 minutes)
Paper presentations
Sustainable food system transformation pathways interfacing the nutrition–environment–inclusion nexus in India. Prantika Das, IIMA (7 mins)
Navigating Urbanization, Food Systems, and Local Governance: A Holistic Approach for India’s Food Security and Nutrition, Balbir Singh Aulakh (7 mins)
Sustainable Transformation Pathways for India: The case of food and water, Vartika Singh, IIMA (7 mins)
FABLE Calculator: A tool to map Sustainable Pathways and its challenges, Ankit Saha, IIMA (7 mins)
Exploring Climate Trends, Hazards, and Strategies for Sustainable Agriculture in Bihar, Shashidhar Kumar Jha and Saransh Bajpai (7 mins)
Q&A and discussion (20 mins)
Expert Discussant and Overview [15 minutes]
Target Audience: Policymakers, Environmentalists, Health professionals, Economists, Farmers and agricultural stakeholders, NGOs and civil society organizations, Educators and researchers Business leaders in the food industry
The topic of “Rural & Agrarian Land Relations: Inclusion, Equity, and Contestations” delves into the multifaceted landscape of land relations, with a particular focus on the complex interplay of caste and class configurations in rural and agrarian settings.
Rural and agrarian land relations serve as a critical domain where issues of inclusion, equity, and contestations intersect. This session highlights the intricate dynamics of caste and class configurations within these relations, acknowledging their profound impact on land access, ownership, and distribution.
Caste-based disparities have deep historical roots in rural areas, and they continue to significantly influence land relations. The session emphasizes on the importance of recognizing and addressing these disparities to promote a more inclusive and equitable distribution of land resources. It also discusses how social and economic class divisions intersect with caste hierarchies, further complicating the landscape of land relations.
The session explores contestations over land, which often arise due to these intersecting factors. Land disputes, unequal access to resources, and power imbalances within rural communities, with a focus on strategies for resolving conflicts and promoting social justice.
The interplay between climate change and land tenure, revealing how shifts in climate can
prompt alterations in land usage and the corresponding tenure arrangements. The contemporary world is witnessing significant shifts and transitions in land use and tenures, particularly affecting marginalized communities. Despite this complexity, the broader tenure landscapes, encompassing informal arrangements, customary tenures, often remain overlooked within climate discussions. Amidst these changes, diversity remains the cornerstone of land-people relations in the Global South, where customary tenure, informality, and collective tenures persist despite formal reforms. However, the emerging imperative for regenerative agriculture to mitigate the climate change requires the critical needs of tenure lens, agricultural productivity, local livelihoods, and food security. If land tenure nexus is left unseen, this will inevitably cast repercussions on food security, livelihoods and climate. Hence, this concept note outlines a session to explore the intricate relationship and the nexus between external transition triggers (such as climate actions) and local diversity contexts in land for regenerative agriculture.
Concept Objectives.
The following are the concept objectives
1. To be bring to the attention of policy holders and decision makers on the regenerative agriculture and how it can help us get to net zero food systems.
2. To raise awareness to the state and non state actors, large scales land investors as well
as small scale farmers on the importance regenerative agriculture. It has to be emphasized here that climate-smart and regenerative agriculture measures designed to put farmers at the centre can improve crop yields and turn farmland and pastures into carbon sinks, reverse forest loss, optimize the use of nitrogen- based fertilizers and rethink global and local supply chains to be more sustainable, reducing waste.
3. To strengthen the relations between Land Tenure Security, Agricultural Productivity and explore the effects of Land Registration. This is taking into consideration that Land tenure security is key component of climate change mitigation measures at the same time is one of the factors that contributes to growth of agricultural productivity because it leads to investment, provides access to finance and allows for land transfer.
4. To advocate the adoption of regenerative agriculture as a mitigation measure of climate change. this Mitigation measures will provide direct benefits to farmers and contribute to national food security, economic development and trade to gain political support and investment
Concept Outcomes
This concept has the following outcomes
1. Policy holders and decision makers clearly and understood the importance of moving towards the regenerative agriculture and how it can help us get to net zero food systems.
2. Increased financing the support towards regenerative agriculture.
3. Strengthened the relations between Land Tenure Security and Agricultural Productivity and explore the Effect of Land Registration.
4. Regenerative agriculture as a mitigation measure of climate change enhanced and Adopted.
5. Strengthened mitigation measures that provide direct benefits to farmers and contribute to national food security, economic development and trade to gain political support and investment.
6. Enhancing and securing climate resilient surface-water and groundwater reserves requires sound management, including restoration of degraded watersheds, with headwaters, grasslands, forests and wetlands prioritised as moderators of surface flow and groundwater replenishment.
7. Agricultural livelihoods and ecosystem resilience are improved with the design and implementation of climate-resilient watershed management projects and programmes.
8. Improved in land-use, including ecosystem restoration and regenerative agriculture,
are financed through access to robust non-grant and grant investment
9. Programme and policies towards for regenerative agricultures management is strengthened to enhance socio-ecological climate resilience through access to, better management of and understanding/knowledge derived from climate, hydrological, agro ecological and socio-economic data and information.
The topic of “Land Use Transitions in Scheduled Areas and Implications on Tribal Land Tenure and Livelihoods” explores the dynamic and intricate landscape of land relations in scheduled areas, with a particular focus on the complex interplay of protected areas, commoning practices, and governance.
Scheduled areas are critical frontiers where land use transitions have far-reaching consequences on tribal land tenure and livelihoods. This session emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing the complex challenges and opportunities presented by these transitions.
One of the key themes which will be explored is the impact of protected areas on tribal land. Conservation efforts often intersect with tribal territories, leading to contestations and trade-offs between environmental conservation and tribal land rights. The session highlights the need to strike a balance that safeguards both biodiversity and the land rights and livelihoods of indigenous communities.
Commoning practices, which involve shared management of resources, will also be a focal point. The session discusses how commoning can be a sustainable approach to land use that respects tribal traditions while ensuring the equitable distribution of benefits. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing and preserving these communal practices within the realm of land relations.
Effective governance is another central theme, addressing the role of state and local authorities in land use decisions. The session emphasizes the importance of participatory, decentralized governance models that empower tribal communities to make informed decisions about their land.
