The Arab region is facing complex challenges in a rapidly changing environment namely rapid urbanization, climate change, and desertification in contexts of violent conflict and social unrest. Most of these challenges have an important land dimension: unequal access to land – especially for women and youth –insecurity of tenure in zones of migration and return unsustainable land use; limited capacities of land administration and weak institutions for dispute and conflict resolution are some of the land-related factors, which structure these challenges. Land-related challenges in the Arab region are not substantially different from those encountered in other parts of the world. However, certain common land-related patterns emerge in this region as elements that shape the way people can access to, use of and control over land, and which therefore require special attention.
The Arab Land Initiative was established in 2016 to address some of the key land governance challenges faced by the Arab states by increasing coordination, collaboration, knowledge and information sharing among organizations and institutions that are active in the region.
One of the main achievements of the Initiative of 2018 has been the organization of the first Arab Land Conference, hosted in the Emirate of Dubai, UAE on the 26-28 February 2018. It is followed by the second upcoming workshop in 2021:
Developing Curricula on Land Governance in The Arab Region
to be held from 2nd to 4th November, in Cairo, Egypt.
The aim of this three-days regional workshop is to identify and analyse the gaps in the available land curricula in the Arab region. It will be an opportunity to discuss potentials to fill the identified gaps towards better utilization of the curricula and to bring together the representatives of existing land-focused networks in order to improve mode for scaling up land education and create synergies among these focal points in the Arab region.
Shaharin Annisa contributed in the research i) Mapping of land-related criteria and ii) Capacity assessment in the context of Sultanate of Oman, aiming to identify the gaps in both curricula and ways forward to tackle the issue comprehensively.
More information can be found under:
https://arabstates.gltn.net/2021/10/26/curricula-on-land-governance-in-the-arab-region-workshop/
