First FAO-UNCCD supported dialogue on responsible land governance and land degradation neutrality hosted by Kazakhstan
In response to the call launched by the FAO-UNCCD Joint Initiative to supporting national multi-stakeholder consultations on integrating tenure security into Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and land restoration initiatives, Kazakhstan was the first country to host a national consultation in Astana on 6 and 7 December 2023.
With around 50 participants, the consultation enabled stakeholders to share knowledge and experiences on the role of secure tenure in improving natural resource management practices, and led to an increased understanding of the direct linkages between land tenure issues and achievement of LDN.
Benefiting from this unique space of reflection, participants built recommendations to better use the principles of the “Voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure of land, fisheries and forests in the context of national food security” (VGGT) as a leverage to tackle LDN and desertification. As a first outcome, it was recommended to set up a cross-sectoral collaboration mechanism to enhance synergies between authorities responsible for land management and land tenure governance, to ensure that land tenure issues will be considered when designing and implementing policies related to LDN initiatives.
Pasturelands were at the heart of the consultation, as they represent more than 186 million hectares (84% of all farmlands in Kazakhstan), of which 48 million hectares have been degraded in the country over the past hundred years. It was recommended to secure collective rights and to strengthen local level decision mechanisms to improve sustainable management of free-range pastures.
In addition, to solve issues related to shortage of the irrigation systems, overgrazing due to high concentration of livestock, and conflicts between land users, a bottom-up land management approach was recommended, consulting local community-based committees and land user associations to enhance open discussion on sustainable land management and find effective solutions to land degradation at the local level.
A broad range of stakeholders attended the consultation, including government representatives, such as the Committee for Land Resources Management of the Ministry of Agriculture (UNCCD focal point of Kazakhstan) and the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, representatives from two universities, along with civil society organizations such as the Association of Farmers of Kazakhstan, and multilateral institutions and development agencies.
After the success of this first consultation, four more countries (Kenya, Mexico, Senegal and Sri Lanka) will hold FAO-UNCCD supported national consultations in 2024.