Land Reform And Sustainable Development

First published in 1999, this volume is unique in that it gives a valuable comparison between the current state of land reform and sustainable development across greater Europe. The chapters are broadly divided into those related to the established systems of land reform and sustainable development encountered in Western Europe, and those which concentrate upon the evolving systems which are currently in the process of development in the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe. The book is based on the papers presented at the 21st International Symposium of the European Faculty of Land Use and Development. The papers have been presented and peer-reviewed by some of the leading experts and practitioners of Land Reform in Europe. All papers have been extensively edited and revised, and are presented as chapters within the three sections of the book: Land Reform, Sustainable Development and Rural Land Development.

First published in 1999, this volume is unique in that it gives a valuable comparison between the current state of land reform and sustainable development across greater Europe. The chapters are broadly divided into those related to the established systems of land reform and sustainable development encountered in Western Europe, and those which concentrate upon the evolving systems which are currently in the process of development in the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe. The book is based on the papers presented at the 21st International Symposium of the European Faculty of Land Use and Development. The papers have been presented and peer-reviewed by some of the leading experts and practitioners of Land Reform in Europe. All papers have been extensively edited and revised, and are presented as chapters within the three sections of the book: Land Reform, Sustainable Development and Rural Land Development.

This book links contemporary debates on land reform with wider discourses on sustainable development within Africa. Featuring chapters and in-depth case studies on South Africa and Zimbabwe, Malawi, Kenya, Botswana and West Africa, it traces the development of ideas about sustainable development and addresses a new agenda based on social justice. The authors critically examine contemporary neoliberal market-led reforms and the legacy of colonialism on the land question. They argue that debates on sustainable development should be placed in the context of structural interests, access and equity, rather than technical management of land and resources. Additionally, they show that these structural factors cannot be transformed by institutional reform based on notions of elective democracy, community participation, and market-reform, but require a far more radical programme to redress the injustices of the colonial system that continue today. The book advocates a commitment to building sustainable livelihoods for farmers, calling for a redistribution of land and natural resources to challenge existing economic relations and frameworks for development.

Bringing together case studies from Europe, Africa and North and South America, this book makes a fresh assessment of the role of the individual and the state in land development. It discusses a range of issues related to land reform, land development and land management, providing a unique reflection of the current state of research. Particular emphasis is laid on the implementation of sustainable processes of land development as an integrated principle of land management. The book examines the rights of the land users and addresses a number of issues relating to sustainability and land development, ranging from emerging land markets and environmental issues, through to natural resource development. The case studies provide practical examples of the application of land reform and land development to land management.

"Land Law Reform examines the wide-spread efforts to reform land law in developing countries and countries in transition, drawing in particular upon the experience of the World Bank and the Rural Development Institute. The book considers the role of land law reform in the development process and analyzes how the World Bank has sought to support these legal changes in client countries. It reviews the experience with reform of laws affecting land access and rights in achieving gender equity, identifies opportunities for reinforcing environmentally sustainable development through land law reform, and examines from both growth and poverty alleviation perspectives the effectiveness of reforms to formalize property rights and liberalize land markets. The concluding chapter recommends some basic priorities for land law reforms. John W. Bruce is a senior counsel in the Legal Vice-Presidency of the World Bank, and a former director of the Land Tenure Center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has published extensively on land law and land policy in developing countries. Renee Giovarelli, David Bledsoe, Leonard Rolfes, and Robert Mitchell are staff attorneys with the Rural Development Institute of Seattle, Washington, a nonprofit organization that promotes and advises on land-related policy and legal reform in developing and transition countries. All have done fieldwork and advised extensively on land law reform and have published widely on this topic."

Research paper reviewing potential economic implications of land reform regarding land ownership and land tenure in developing countries - includes political aspects of land redistribution, etc. References and statistical tables.

In ‘Reclaiming Nature’, leading environmental thinkers from across the globe explore the relationship between human activities and the natural. This is a bold and comprehensive text of major interest to both students of the environment and professionals involved in policy-making.