LAND-at-scale
LAND-at-scale is a land governance support programme for developing countries. A large part of the world's population depends on secure land access for their incomes. LAND-at-scale aims to contribute to fair and just tenure security, and access to land and natural resources for all. This will lead to more sustainable and efficient use of land and natural resources for food, housing and production. It will also reduce conflicts and competing claims over land.
Improved land governance will help reach many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It will support food and nutrition security, economic development and peace and stability. The LAND-at-scale programme contributes to more sustainable incomes and social justice. Women's rights and climate change are also important themes in the programme (see the LAND-at-scale programme file).
Aims
LAND-at-scale's goal is just and fair land governance. In the long-term, this will contribute to SDGs 1, 2, 5, 11, 15 and 17 and may contribute indirectly to SDGs 8, 9, 10, 13 and 16. In the short term, the programme focuses on the following outcomes:
- Improved, fit-for-purpose land administration;
- Improved land-use management planning, including participatory land consolidation, sound natural resource management and social integration;
- Improved access to justice for land-related conflicts and conflict resolution. Fewer cases of land conflicts and equal opportunities for men and women;
- Increased inclusiveness in access to land, land use documentation, land rental and land markets. There is a particular focus on women, youth and vulnerable people;
- Increased knowledge and learning about the effects of innovative approaches and how to scale successful land governance methods that advance structural change;
- New and improved action-oriented, multi-stakeholder networks. These networks help improve just, inclusive and sustainable land governance.
Process
Dutch Embassies can submit ideas for LAND-at-scale. Ideas should look at the upscaling of successful pilots or innovative pilots with upscaling potential. All ideas should relate to fair, inclusive and sustainable land governance at country, regional or landscape level. They can involve a single intervention or several related interventions needed to achieve the change wanted.
Dutch Embassies must share ideas for LAND-at-scale with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. The LAND-at-scale Committee then selects the most promising ideas. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency will look at whether it can turn the ideas into projects. This happens in close collaboration with embassies and local stakeholders. Once the idea has been turned into a project strategy, the organisations carrying out the project will be selected. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency manages the projects.
Supported activities
Activities supported by LAND-at-scale contribute to the result frameworks of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs' priority themes. These themes include food & nutrition security, access to justice, private sector development and gender equality. Land governance activities that LAND-at-scale supports include:
- Making existing and new land-based investments inclusive and sustainable;
- Scaling and piloting innovative interventions that enhance structural change;
- Capacity development of governmental and non-governmental stakeholders;
- Improving the position of women, youth and vulnerable people;
- Joint learning, knowledge exchange and multi-stakeholder action;
- Lobby and advocacy.
Criteria for support
The LAND-at-scale programme document includes the criteria for support. To qualify for support, ideas must:
- follow the annual LAND-at-scale strategic plan and the strategic plans of the relevant Dutch Embassy;
- contribute to the LAND-at-scale aims;
- have local support from the main stakeholders;
- contribute to and add value to the market; and
- not be allowed to get support from other programmes from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Supported interventions will be carried out based on the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests (VGGT). LAND-at-scale projects must promote gender equality and women's empowerment. Projects must also look at the effects of climate change. Support can be provided in various forms. This includes knowledge exchange, contracts, and tailor-made grants. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), producer organisations, knowledge institutes, governments and companies or groups of organisations (consortia) may be selected to carry out the interventions.
Geographic focus
LAND-at-scale is open to all low and middle-income countries, except countries in Europe. We prefer ideas from countries within the focus regions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and countries where LAND-at-scale can build on earlier Dutch supported interventions.
Budget
LAND-at-scale has a budget of €37.5 million and will be open until 2026. The programme welcomes co-financing and cooperation with other demand-driven initiatives that aim to improve just, inclusive and sustainable land governance.
Current activities
LAND-at-scale is active in the following countries:
| Burkina Faso | Burundi | Chad | Colombia | The Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Egypt | Iraq | Mali | Mozambique | Palestinian Territories |
| Rwanda | Somalia | Uganda | Vietnam |
LAND-at-scale in practice
Watch our video about LAND-at-scale projects in several countries.
Voice-over
A large part of the world's population depends on having secure access to land for their food, income and livelihood.
But this secure access is not always provided.
Text on screen
LAND-at-scale
For just, inclusive and sustainable land governance globally.
Chad
Mahamat Abdoulaye Malloum, Kadaster International
The land sector in Chad is in crisis.
Because the population is growing, there are more conflicts about land.
Voice-over
The LAND-at-scale programme has a unique approach that is tailor-made to people?s specific context and needs, with a focus on collaboration, upscaling and sustainability.
LAND-at-scale aims to scale proven approaches to achieve just, inclusive and sustainable land governance globally.
Such as in Chad, where Kadaster International and Oxfam Novib have formed a unique partnership to strengthen land governance, combining interventions at the community and national level.
Mahamat Abdoulaye Malloum, Kadaster International
Kadaster is a partner of the LAND-at-scale project. In this case, it is a collaboration between the Netherlands and Chad.
We exchange experiences and look at how we can improve the Chadian land administration by reducing costs and time.
Voice-over
Oxfam Novib runs several advocacy campaigns in Chad in order to raise awareness and improve women's access to land.
As part of the LAND-at-scale project, they intend to strengthen the capacities of women, to identify the causes of conflict and to define an appropriate intervention.
Ultimately, this unique partnership aims to achieve fair and inclusive land governance.
Text on screen
Burundi
Voice-over
LAND-at-scale supports scaling innovative pilot projects across different countries.
Where the LAND-at-scale programme in Chad works to secure tenure rights through national cadasters, in Burundi, LAND-at-scale project partners work with local government offices and communities at the commune level.
Servillien Minani, Project manager LAND-at-scale, ZOA
Since 2019, ZOA has supported the municipalities of Kimbangu and Kyunguin the establishment and operation of their services and municipal land with funding from USAID and the Dutch Embassy.
Today we started explaining the process of land certification and land rights of private individuals with a focus on women in particular.
Ndikumana Daphrose, Farmer
We heard that in other provinces where this project has started, land conflict have decreased.
When I register my land and I get the land certificates,
it is very beneficial for me. Because first of all, it indicates that there is no conflict in my land.
Secondly, no one will take that land from my children.
Voice-over
LAND-at-scale aims to scale up the successes of the ZOA pilot to the rest of the Makamba province, as well as by developing a business plan for other local land offices to adopt and implement themselves.
This way, these experiences at local level can be scaled at a national level and in a sustainable way.
LAND-at-scale is also exploring collaborations with other donors to increase the scale of the impact of the interventions even further.
Land rights are essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
With only a few years to achieve these global goals, now is the time to scale proven approaches.
LAND-at-scale cannot achieve this in isolation. To reach positive impact at scale, the sector must work together.
Endslide
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs commissions LAND-at-scale; the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) has developed the programme.
Visit english.rvo.nl/land-at-scale
Contact us via landatscale@rvo.nl
This project contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Committee
The LAND-at-scale Committee consists of voluntary members. On the Committee are officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who represent different thematic and regional departments. There are also independent international land governance experts on the Committee.
LAND-at-scale Committee members
| Frits van der Wal | Inclusive Green Growth Department (IGG), Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Anno Galema | Africa Department (DAF), Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Kees de Zeeuw | LinkedIn profile | Nina Bode | North Africa and Middle East Department (DAM), Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Marco Lankhorst | LinkedIn profile | Carolien Vis | Western Hemisphere Department (DWH), Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Margareta Nilsson | LinkedIn profile | Ruth Meinzen-Dick | LinkedIn profile |
| Ceciel Groot | Department for Stabilisation and Humanitarian Aid (DSH), Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Ruud van der Helm | North Africa and Middle East Department (DAM), Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Ward Anseeuw | LinkedIn profile |
Knowledge exchange
Are you a land governance expert, and do you want to read our latest reports and exchange knowledge? Visit the LAND-at-scale page on the Land Portal.
On our Development Cooperation Projects database, you will find an overview of projects that we carry out in development cooperation. You can filter by location, sector and programme, among others.
More information
The Netherlands Enterprise Agency carries out the LAND-at-scale programme on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To find out more about the LAND-at-scale programme, look at our programme document and Theory of Change.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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