KATHMANDU, APRIL 5
The programme on securing land rights of women and indigenous peoples in the face of climate change in South Asia has been completed.
The programme was organised by the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Community Self-Reliance Centre and International Land Coalition in Kathmandu.
Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation Damodar Regmi said, "This ministry is not only for those who own land but also for the landless." He also informed that work was being done to provide access to land to women and indigenous and marginalised people. He also expressed the ministry's willingness to collaborate with the CSOs to create an environment where land is not only linked with acquisition, but also with income.
Member of Federal Parliament, and land rights activist Saraswati Subba said, "Earlier, we only talked about access to natural resources such as water, forests and land, but now we have started talking about the effects of climate change, which is a good thing," adding, "These issues are not prioritised at the local and federal levels of the government. Their focus is on forming and dissolution of the government."
Similarly, Director General of the Survey Department Janakraj Joshi said, "Although the policies are good and follow the constitution, the problem lies in capacity, awareness and implementation." He also stated that funding too was a challenge.
According to Executive Director of the Community Self-Reliance Centre Jagat Deuja, there should be more precision in our thinking if we are to get to where we want to go with land reform.
A version of this article appears in the print on April 6, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
