Land-based climate change mitigation, land grabbing and conflict: understanding intersections and linkages, exploring actions for change

TitleLand-based climate change mitigation, land grabbing and conflict: understanding intersections and linkages, exploring actions for change
Annotated RecordAnnotated
Year of Publication2015
AuthorsHunsberger C, Corbera E, Borras_Jr. SM, de la Rosa R, Eang V, Franco JC, Herre R, Kham SSam, Park C, Pred D, Sokheng H, Spoor M, Thein S, Thu K, Thuon R, Vaddhanaphuti C, Woods K, Work C
Issue1
Pagination1-26
Key themesAccessToJustice, Dispossession-grabbing, Environment, FDI
Abstract

Recent research highlights the potential for climate change mitigation projects and large-scale land deals to produce conflicts over land and resources. However, this literature generally views climate change policies and land grabbing as separate processes, and focuses on discrete areas where displacement or contested claims occur. We argue that additional research strategies are needed to understand the social and ecological spill-over effects that take place within larger areas where land-based climate change projects (e.g. biofuel production, forest conservation, or hydroelectric projects) and large land-based investments (e.g. plantations or mines) are found. We propose adopting a landscape perspective to study intersections and complex interactions within and across social, ecological and institutional domains. By co-producing knowledge with local actors, building capacity with civil society groups, and informing advocacy that targets policy processes at multiple scales, we suggest that such research could contribute to preventing, resolving or transforming conflicts – even in places where difficult political transitions are underway.
URLhttps://www.researchgate.net/publication/281640962_Land-based_climate_change_mitigation_land_grabbing_and_conflict_understanding_intersections_and_linkages_exploring_actions_for_change
Availability

Available for download
Countries

Global
Document Type

Working Paper

Annotations

Overall relevance: 

The working paper focuses on the need to consider climate change policies and land confiscation together rather than treating them separately. In doing so, it highlights current issues and conflicts due to land confiscation and large-scale land deals in Cambodia and Myanmar. Furthermore, State attempts to implement climate change mitigation projects, for instance, biofuel production, forest conservation, and hydropower projects, may compound or cause additional land conflicts and impact upon both communities and nature. To prevent, resolve or transform conflicts, including a role of civil society, the paper proposes a research framework.

Key Themes: 
  • Dispute resolution and access to justice - Existing governance apparatus is not solving the problems related to land rights and climate change policy. Instead, a co-production of knowledge is needed to create lasting change, involving the input of civil society. Doing so can help address human-rights based justice considerations for local communities.
  • Land dispossession/land grabbing - Large-scale land deals in Myanmar and Cambodia are causing widespread dispossession. For example, in Myanmar land deals reached 5.2 million acres by 2013 and are prevalent in ethnic minority areas. In Cambodia, the state has granted 2 million hectares for Economic Land Concessions (ELCs) for economic, including 520,000 ha of lowland forest in Prey Lang area which supports over 200,000 indigenous people.
  • Land and the environment: pollution, deforestation, climate change, conservation zoning - Policies and strategies to reduce climate change such as to produce low carbon or renewable energy, can increase land grabbing or large-scale land deals by accelerating biofuel production or dam construction for hydropower. Likewise, the REDD+ program imposes new conservation and forest management regimes to sequester carbon in forest areas, and can be seen as green grabbing.
  • FDI and land access: economic land concessions, contract farming, short term and long term renting - A key issue involves how land-based investments can responsibly respect the rights of local land users, rather than cater merely to corporate needs for resource extraction. This sense of responsibility can also be applied to climate change projects.
Research basis: 

The article has been written as part of the MOSAIC Research Project, involving a number of academic and research institutions looking at climate change politics, land grabbing and conflict, with a focus on Cambodia and Myanmar. The paper is a collective piece, drawing upon extensive research knowledge from the authors. It proposes a research framework taking a human rights and a landscape approach, encouraging co-production of knowledge, and supporting action for change. (Provided by Ling Houng)