. Web-site: www.unccd.int. TERMS OF REFERENCE. To Produce a Working Paper fo
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TERMS OF REFERENCE To Produce a Working Paper for the Global Land Outlook (GLO) Land tenure and rights for improved land management and sustainable development: Current status and future trends Consultancy reference number: CCD/16/ERPA/17 BACKGROUND The objective of the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is to combat desertification and land degradation, and to mitigate the effects of drought in affected countries around the world, particularly in Africa, through effective action at all levels. This is supported by international cooperation and partnership arrangements, in the framework of an integrated approach consistent with Agenda 21, with a view to contributing to the achievement of sustainable development. The Global Land Outlook (GLO) is the UNCCD’s new flagship publication to be published every 4 years. It is a state-of-the-art strategic assessment providing a transformative framework and vision for land management practice, policy and planning at global and national scales. Each background document or working paper is expected to be a standalone product and potentially provide significant input to one or more chapters of the GLO main report. If a paper is edited to produce an entire GLO chapter, the author(s) will be acknowledged as the chapter author(s); otherwise, they will be acknowledged as the contributing author(s). The digital concept note for the GLO is available at: https://global-land-outlook.squarespace.com/home/#intro CONSULTANT’S TASKS AND DELIVERABLES Under the overall supervision of the coordinator of the External Relations, Policy and Advocacy (ERPA) unit of the UNCCD and the direct supervision of an assigned Officer, the consultant will prepare a Working Paper for the UNCCD’s GLO. Land degradation occurs in many countries and in very different ecological, socio-economic and climatic contexts. It has been estimated that between 20% and 30% of the global land surface is already degraded. Degradation of land and natural resources has both natural and anthropogenic drivers; it is widely accepted that population growth, climate change, poverty and institutional failures are the main drivers. Measures and techniques for the sustainable management of land and natural resources and the mitigation of degradation are widely known but the adoption of these measures and techniques remains difficult. The (in)security of access to and tenure of land and natural resources is one of the factors that facilitate, mediate or complicate the adoption of sustainable land and natural resource management techniques and practices. However, the link between land and resource tenure
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security and the degradation of land and natural resources varies between ecosystems and bio-cultural regions. In producing a 20-30 page Working Paper and a two page Policy Brief that distills the key findings and messages for decision-makers, the following issues and questions should be considered: I. Provide a global overview of the status of land ownership (titling, tenure and customary rights) including a brief history of land rights reform to provide the context for current and future challenges.
What do we actually known about evolving ownership patterns; are there recent discernable trends? Where and how do we need to improve land registration and titling systems: for example do we know whether communal land is being subsumed into government land? Has public land been transferred to private land? What are the trends in private, public, communal foreign land ownership and access?
II. Provide an analysis of the outcomes and impacts of land rights regimes and reform including an overview of how land tenure systems in different ecosystems and bio-cultural regions around the world is linked to land degradation or sustainable land management.
How well do we understand efficiency and equity gains and losses (for example in yield productivity, poverty reduction, rural income growth, adoption of sustainable land management) from different types of ownership patterns? Is ownership the predominate driver of social/economic outcomes of land use and under what circumstances can we predict efficiency gains?
Develop a typology of land rights regimes, based on ecosystems or biocultural regions, showing various outcomes and impacts. How well do we understand land markets and governance regimes? Is ownership at the heart of such rights or can access and other forms of tenure systems work equally well?
How can traditional and communal rights be maintained in a world where land is rapidly becoming a transnational financial asset class? How can vulnerable communities and people in the developing world (the poor, marginal farmers, women, and indigenous communities) secure their rights?
III. Provide a future scenario analysis based on current trends that focuses on policy measures. What are new governance arrangements that are essential to sustainable land management and improving the delivery of vital ecosystem services?
Do all countries have and maintain land registers as a basis of developing progressive forward looking land policies? If not what actions are required? Can we design a policy matrix of key administrative and regulatory actions as well as market based mechanisms that induce improved land management and practices?
What do we know about “land grabbing”? Do we understand the motivation and driving forces underlying the recent phenomena of large land purchases? What are
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the potential effects on yield productivity, ownership patterns (especially for small holders) and which land is being sold and for what purposes? How could large land purchases change existing land governance and property rights systems? CONTRACTUAL TERMS The consultancy will be carried out over two months, starting from 01 June 2016; The consultant will prepare an overall work plan for the entire contract period at the beginning of the assignment, which will be discussed and agreed with the supervisors at the UNCCD. QUALIFICATIONS A Master’s or PhD degree in land tenure, spatial/regional planning, geography, natural resources, economics, or any related field relevant for the consultancy; Research experience or publishing with an emphasis on environmental management; Experience in transdisciplinary work; Ability to communicate effectively in English with demonstrated writing skills. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION Applications should be submitted by e-mail to
[email protected]. This should include a CV, specifying the position CCD/16/ERPA/17 in the subject line, and a cover letter with a brief work plan and expectations for remuneration. The deadline for applications is 15 May 2016. Only applications submitted by the deadline will be considered. No telephone calls will be returned. Please address your application as indicated above and do not address or copy your application to an individual at the Secretariat of the UNCCD. Date of issuance: 13 April 2016
