Press release
4 April 2023
Kathmandu, Nepal
The National Land Coalition (NLC) Nepal, in collaboration with the Nepal Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation (MOLCPA), Community Self-Reliance Centre (CSRC), and International Land Coalition (ILC) Asia, is organising a regional policy dialogue on "Securing land rights of women and indigenous peoples in the face of climate change in South Asia". The event is held from 4 to 6 April 2023 at Park Village Resort in Kathmandu, Nepal.
As a foundational aspect of addressing climate adaptation and mitigation policies, securing Indigenous Peoples', local communities, and women’s land rights (WLR) is proven to increase local communities’ adaptive capacities, food security, and inclusive and meaningful participation in decision-making processes.
Strong evidence also reveals that deforestation and degradation are reduced in areas that are owned, managed and controlled by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, highlighting the centrality of recognition of their land and territory in support of effective and equitable conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
In Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, women’s access to and decision-making power over land, in the sense of ownership, use, and tenure security, is limited and often hindered by existing social norms and patriarchal attitudes. This is further exacerbated by restrictive policy instruments and legal frameworks and/or weak law enforcement at the local and national levels.
“Increasing commodification of natural resources, especially of land, has posed a serious threat to the land and forest tenure security of women and indigenous communities. The three-day regional forum will facilitate dialogue between local communities and national and regional actors to draw attention to the existing gap between policy, practice on the ground, and the needs of the people”, says Dharm Raj Joshi, facilitator of the National Land Coalition (NLC) in Nepal. The NLC Nepal is a platform which brings together a network of land actors to address the most challenging land-related issues in the country.
Amid the deepening climate crisis, it is high time for regional actors and, more importantly, governments to become more aware of the benefits of women owning land and recognise them as farmers and producers, as well as their contributions to their families and communities.
This event will help to catalyse and stimulate dialogue between civil society, government bodies and those impacted the most by climate change and weak land tenure security to create meaningful participation in finding climate solutions from the ground up.
For further information, contact:
Dharm Joshi, NLC Nepal Facilitator
nes_nepal@landcoalition.info
(English/Nepali)
Andita Listyarini, ILC Asia Communications Specialist
andita@landcoalition.info
(Indonesian/English)