Land and Resource Rights for Economic Growth

Hundreds of millions of people around the world lack recognition of their rights to the land they live and depend on. Without legal recognition or basic documentation, people cannot plan for the future or invest in their land, even if they have lived and worked on it for decades. Over the past five years, USAID has worked with rural households, communities, indigenous peoples, private companies, and governments to recognize and document land rights and assess their impacts on local investments and sustainable land management.

Join the Wilson Center for a conversation with representatives from USAID projects in Burma, Ghana, Paraguay, Vietnam, and Zambia on documenting household and community land rights. Panelists will share lessons learned on what works (and what doesn’t) across culture and geographies, and offer their recommendations for future projects.

Introduction

• Carrie Thompson - Deputy Assistant Administrator, the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment, U.S. Agency for International Development

Moderator

• Steve Lawry - Center for International Forestry Research, Director of Rights and Governance Program

Panelists

• Emiko Guthe - Tetra Tech, Country Coordinator for Tenure and Global Climate Change Program Burma
• Bob O’Sullivan - Winrock International, Coordinator for Tenure and Global Climate Change Program Ghana
• Silvia Petrova - Geospatial Analyst, Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment, Land and Urban Office, U.S. Agency for International Development
• Matt Sommerville - Tetra Tech, Chief of Party of Tenure and Global Climate Change Program
• Peter Veit - Director, Land And Resource Rights Initiative, World Resources Institute
• Stephen Brooks - Land and Resource Governance Advisor, Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment, Land and Urban Office, U.S. Agency for International Development