Reflections on 20 Years of Land-Related Development Projects in Central America : 10 Things You Might Not Expect, and Future Directions

This paper takes a critical view of the challenges that lie ahead for land?related development projects in Central America. Drawing upon several sources of information and types of analysis, including literature reviews, field visits and rapid part...

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Main Authors: Siegel, P.B., Childress, M.D., Barham, B.L.
Format: Working Paper
Language:English
en_US
Published: International Land Coalition, Rome 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/18801448/reflections-20-years-landrelated-development-projects-central-america-10-things-might-not-expect-future-directions
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17624
id okr-10986-17624
recordtype oai_dc
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Foreign Institution
institution Digital Repositories
building World Bank Open Knowledge Repository
collection World Bank
language English
en_US
topic ACCESS TO LAND
ACCOUNTING
ASSETS
CAPACITY BUILDING
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTROL
CITIES
COLLATERAL
COMMUNITIES
CREDIT MARKETS
DECENTRALIZATION
DEMOGRAPHICS
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
EMPLOYMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS
ETHNIC MINORITIES
FINANCIAL DEEPENING
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FINANCIAL MARKETS
GOVERNANCE CAPACITY
INCOME
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
LAND MANAGEMENT
LAND TENURE
LAND TITLING
LAND USE
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
LOCAL LEVEL
MANDATES
MIGRATION
MUNICIPAL
MUNICIPAL FINANCE
MUNICIPAL FINANCING
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
MUNICIPALITIES
NATURAL RESOURCES
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRODUCTIVITY
PROPERTY RIGHTS
PROPERTY TAXES
PUBLIC
PUBLIC OFFICIALS
PUBLIC SECTOR
RISK MANAGEMENT
ROADS
SANITATION
SETTLEMENTS
SLUM UPGRADING
SLUMS
SOCIAL SERVICES
SPATIAL PLANNING
TAXATION
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
URBAN AREAS
URBAN POOR
URBAN POVERTY
URBANIZATION
spellingShingle ACCESS TO LAND
ACCOUNTING
ASSETS
CAPACITY BUILDING
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTROL
CITIES
COLLATERAL
COMMUNITIES
CREDIT MARKETS
DECENTRALIZATION
DEMOGRAPHICS
ECONOMIC CONDITIONS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
EMPLOYMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS
ETHNIC MINORITIES
FINANCIAL DEEPENING
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
FINANCIAL MARKETS
GOVERNANCE CAPACITY
INCOME
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
LAND MANAGEMENT
LAND TENURE
LAND TITLING
LAND USE
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
LOCAL LEVEL
MANDATES
MIGRATION
MUNICIPAL
MUNICIPAL FINANCE
MUNICIPAL FINANCING
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
MUNICIPALITIES
NATURAL RESOURCES
POLITICAL ECONOMY
POVERTY REDUCTION
PRODUCTIVITY
PROPERTY RIGHTS
PROPERTY TAXES
PUBLIC
PUBLIC OFFICIALS
PUBLIC SECTOR
RISK MANAGEMENT
ROADS
SANITATION
SETTLEMENTS
SLUM UPGRADING
SLUMS
SOCIAL SERVICES
SPATIAL PLANNING
TAXATION
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
URBAN AREAS
URBAN POOR
URBAN POVERTY
URBANIZATION
Siegel, P.B.
Childress, M.D.
Barham, B.L.
Reflections on 20 Years of Land-Related Development Projects in Central America : 10 Things You Might Not Expect, and Future Directions
geographic_facet Latin America & Caribbean
relation Knowledge for change;
description This paper takes a critical view of the challenges that lie ahead for land?related development projects in Central America. Drawing upon several sources of information and types of analysis, including literature reviews, field visits and rapid participatory assessments, along with decades of professional experience, the authors examine land-related development policies and projects over the past two decades in Central America (although monitoring and evaluation is admittedly weak). Reflections on past land?related development policies and projects in Central America are based on their contributions to growth and poverty reduction. The reflections, which are really stylized facts, are presented using a 'top ten list' of things that you might not expect from land policy reforms and projects in post?conflict Central America. In short, for a variety of initially unforeseen reasons, land?related development policies and projects have not fully lived up to expectations in terms of poverty reduction for rural residents, especially not for small farmers (campesinos) and the landless, although positive impacts have been obtained for landholders improving the security of property rights, and have generally exceeded expectations for urban residents. The focus on land administration outcomes (e.g., number of parcels registered) has often managed to bypass areas with land conflicts and/or indigenous peoples and these projects have not necessarily provided incentives for environmentally sound natural resource management. At the same time these projects have achieved institutional reforms and the creation of land information systems which are beginning to enable a new paradigm of multi?purpose territorial management which holds great promise. The lessons learned suggest the need to consolidate a new direction for land policy in Central America, one that is holistic and integrates poverty reduction and development goals, natural resource management, disaster risk management and climate change into a territorial approach stressing local governance and planning. There is a need to differentiate between rural and urban areas and better utilize geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial data that have been key products of land projects. Information systems and various land and resource data gathered by land administration projects provide an excellent foundation for a revised and decentralized approach to sustainable development. The paper concludes with six specific recommendations, which can serve as the basis for future discussions on the direction of future development support to countries' land policies and projects in Central America, and other regions.
format Publications & Research :: Working Paper
author Siegel, P.B.
Childress, M.D.
Barham, B.L.
author_facet Siegel, P.B.
Childress, M.D.
Barham, B.L.
author_sort Siegel, P.B.
title Reflections on 20 Years of Land-Related Development Projects in Central America : 10 Things You Might Not Expect, and Future Directions
title_short Reflections on 20 Years of Land-Related Development Projects in Central America : 10 Things You Might Not Expect, and Future Directions
title_full Reflections on 20 Years of Land-Related Development Projects in Central America : 10 Things You Might Not Expect, and Future Directions
title_fullStr Reflections on 20 Years of Land-Related Development Projects in Central America : 10 Things You Might Not Expect, and Future Directions
title_full_unstemmed Reflections on 20 Years of Land-Related Development Projects in Central America : 10 Things You Might Not Expect, and Future Directions
title_sort reflections on 20 years of land-related development projects in central america : 10 things you might not expect, and future directions
publisher International Land Coalition, Rome
publishDate 2014
url http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/18801448/reflections-20-years-landrelated-development-projects-central-america-10-things-might-not-expect-future-directions
http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17624
_version_ 1764437844590329856
spelling okr-10986-176242021-04-23T14:03:39Z Reflections on 20 Years of Land-Related Development Projects in Central America : 10 Things You Might Not Expect, and Future Directions Siegel, P.B. Childress, M.D. Barham, B.L. ACCESS TO LAND ACCOUNTING ASSETS CAPACITY BUILDING CENTRAL GOVERNMENT CONTROL CITIES COLLATERAL COMMUNITIES CREDIT MARKETS DECENTRALIZATION DEMOGRAPHICS ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYMENT ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS ETHNIC MINORITIES FINANCIAL DEEPENING FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FINANCIAL MARKETS GOVERNANCE CAPACITY INCOME INDIGENOUS PEOPLES INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS LAND MANAGEMENT LAND TENURE LAND TITLING LAND USE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS LOCAL LEVEL MANDATES MIGRATION MUNICIPAL MUNICIPAL FINANCE MUNICIPAL FINANCING MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS MUNICIPAL SERVICES MUNICIPALITIES NATURAL RESOURCES POLITICAL ECONOMY POVERTY REDUCTION PRODUCTIVITY PROPERTY RIGHTS PROPERTY TAXES PUBLIC PUBLIC OFFICIALS PUBLIC SECTOR RISK MANAGEMENT ROADS SANITATION SETTLEMENTS SLUM UPGRADING SLUMS SOCIAL SERVICES SPATIAL PLANNING TAXATION TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE URBAN AREAS URBAN POOR URBAN POVERTY URBANIZATION This paper takes a critical view of the challenges that lie ahead for land?related development projects in Central America. Drawing upon several sources of information and types of analysis, including literature reviews, field visits and rapid participatory assessments, along with decades of professional experience, the authors examine land-related development policies and projects over the past two decades in Central America (although monitoring and evaluation is admittedly weak). Reflections on past land?related development policies and projects in Central America are based on their contributions to growth and poverty reduction. The reflections, which are really stylized facts, are presented using a 'top ten list' of things that you might not expect from land policy reforms and projects in post?conflict Central America. In short, for a variety of initially unforeseen reasons, land?related development policies and projects have not fully lived up to expectations in terms of poverty reduction for rural residents, especially not for small farmers (campesinos) and the landless, although positive impacts have been obtained for landholders improving the security of property rights, and have generally exceeded expectations for urban residents. The focus on land administration outcomes (e.g., number of parcels registered) has often managed to bypass areas with land conflicts and/or indigenous peoples and these projects have not necessarily provided incentives for environmentally sound natural resource management. At the same time these projects have achieved institutional reforms and the creation of land information systems which are beginning to enable a new paradigm of multi?purpose territorial management which holds great promise. The lessons learned suggest the need to consolidate a new direction for land policy in Central America, one that is holistic and integrates poverty reduction and development goals, natural resource management, disaster risk management and climate change into a territorial approach stressing local governance and planning. There is a need to differentiate between rural and urban areas and better utilize geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial data that have been key products of land projects. Information systems and various land and resource data gathered by land administration projects provide an excellent foundation for a revised and decentralized approach to sustainable development. The paper concludes with six specific recommendations, which can serve as the basis for future discussions on the direction of future development support to countries' land policies and projects in Central America, and other regions. 2014-04-07T18:11:30Z 2014-04-07T18:11:30Z 2013-01-08 http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/01/18801448/reflections-20-years-landrelated-development-projects-central-america-10-things-might-not-expect-future-directions 978-92-95093-81-2 http://hdl.handle.net/10986/17624 English en_US Knowledge for change; CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/ International Land Coalition, Rome Publications & Research :: Working Paper Publications & Research Latin America & Caribbean