Event Type: Event

U.S. Forest Service International Programs Seminar Series: LandPKS

U.S. Forest Service International Programs Seminar Series presents:

WHAT: The Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS): mobile apps and cloud computing for supporting land management decisions, inventory, monitoring and evaluation
WHO: Jeff Herrick, soil scientist, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (Las Cruces, New Mexico)
WHERE: U.S. Forest Service International Programs (near McPherson Square Metro)

The Land-Potential Knowledge System and two new mobile applications (LandInfo and LandCover) were recently launched in Kenya, Namibia and Ethiopia to enhance rangeland management and monitoring. The applications can be used together or alone for vegetation inventory, impact evaluation design (selection of paired controls where randomization is not possible), and land cover monitoring using Android smart devices and a central cloud storage system. Future versions will allow users to access and share management information specific to their type of land and climate, and to collect other monitoring data, including crop production and livestock condition. The session will include a hands-on demonstration with Android phones available for use*.*iPhone and Windows version available early 2016.

For the past year,U.S.Forest Service, International Programs has been consulting closely with Jeff Herrick to adapt LandPKS to Ethiopian pastoral areas. The issue is important because it integrates innovative technology into field monitoring practices, ultimately allowing land managers to obtain comprehensive access to baseline data on rangelands in East Africa that will inform grazing management decisions and land use allocation. U.S.Forest Service scientists have started utilizing the smart phone application in Ethiopia and will be involved in updates to the system in 2016. We will also provide a grant to New Mexico State for further LandPKS developments this year.

Please R.S.V.P. to Pari Henkai 202-644-4587 or phenkai@fs.fed.us

CONNECT REMOTELY: If you cannot attend the seminar but would like to hear it using ADOBE CONNECT, please see the instructions below.

  1. Connect your computer/mobile device to the Adobe Connect web meeting:https://usfs.adobeconnect.com/ip100
  2. Select “Enter as a Guest” (you do NOT need a login and password)
  3. Type your name or location (if multiple people are joining together) into the “name” box
  4. Click “Enter Room”
  5. If the audio is not working, please dial-in to the conference line USA Toll-Free:1-888 844- 9904 Access code 9040400. Feel free to send in any questions for the speaker in the chat or Q & A box. For technical issues, please contact Adobe Connect at 800-422-3623

For more information on US Forest Service International Programs, please visithttp://www.fs.fed.us/about-agency/international-programs

The Digital Landscape: Technology and Land Rights

On February 11, join USAID, Cadasta Foundation, Geospatial Media, and Thomson Reuters for an exciting discussion on the intersection of technology and land rights. This event is free and open to the public.

Watch the recorded webinar >>

8:30 AM EST Networking and refreshments for in-person attendees
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM EST Panel Discussion

Moderator:
Bhanu Rekha, Geospatial Media

Panel:
Ioana Bouvier, USAID
Frank Pichel, Cadasta Foundation
Lisa Kay Lewis, Thomson Reuters

Innovative tools and emerging technologies in the land sector offer new potential to improve the lives of women and men around the world. Rapid developments in technology are making it possible to solve development challenges in ways that seemed impossible just a few short years ago. Tools—such as smartphone apps that help people map and certify land; an open-source database that connects farmers, pastoralists and scientists across the globe; and participatory mapping programs that help clarify and secure tenure in customary settings—are making it easier for governments and local communities to efficiently manage land and resources and for individuals to understand and exercise their property rights.

Learn some of the keys for success in ensuring that technology solutions are context-appropriate, flexible, effective and sustainable. And find out from our expert panel what exciting possibilities lay ahead for technology in the land sector.

American Evaluation Association 2015 Conference

USAID’s Land Tenure and Resource Management Office is conducting a series of rigorous impact evaluations in Ethiopia, Guinea, Liberia and Zambia. Baseline finding for three of these were presented at the American Evaluation Association 2015 conference in Chicago during the panel on “Advancing USAID’s Learning Agenda – Land Tenure and Natural Resource Impact Evaluations in Africa.” Below are slideshows of the presentations.

Impact Evaluation of Conflict Diamond Program in Guinea

Community-Based Forest Management Program Impact Evaluation in Zambia

Randomized Control Trial Impact Evaluation of Land Tenure Certification in Zambia

Women, Land and Food Panel

On October 27, 2015, from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM EDT, USAID, the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Landesa will host a panel event to discuss the intersection of women’s empowerment, land rights and food security at IFPRI’s headquarters at 2033 K St NW, Washington, DC. The panel event is open to the public and will be streamed live online. Register to attend in-person or online below.

Throughout much of the developing world women have fewer rights and less access to one of the most important livelihood assets: land. While situations vary across countries and contexts, in general, women own less land than men. Moreover, the land that women do control tends to be smaller in size and inferior in quality to land controlled by men. This often limits women’s economic opportunities and leaves them more vulnerable to poverty, hunger and displacement. Yet a growing body of evidence demonstrates a profound link between stronger women’s land rights and a variety of critical development issues, including enhanced food security and improved household nutrition. Acknowledging this, in September the international community officially adopted the Sustainable Development Goals – which included ending poverty, achieving food security and gender equality as Goals 1, 2 and 5 – and all included land rights and resources as a key underlying component. In the U.S., Congress recently passed the Girls Count Act, which built on USAID’s Gender Policy of 2012 and prioritizes women’s land and property rights in development programs.

Join USAID, IFPRI, and Landesa as we examine this intersection of women, land and food in international development n October 27, 2015.

Ask Ag Chat

Main_EventPageAgrilinks, the USAID Bureau for Food Security’s Knowledge Sharing platform, will be hosting an “Ask Ag” online chat on July 22 (noon-1:00 PM ET) on the unique challenges of—and solutions to—land tenure issues. The chat will be hosted on the Agrilinks website and open to the public.

“Ask Ag” chats are synchronous online conversations that feature a panel of subject matter experts. This month’s “Ask Ag” discussion will explore the challenges and solutions associated with land tenure at both the project and policy levels. Participation requires that you are registered on Agrilinks beforehand.

The comments section is already open for questions and Agrilinks welcomes you to join the conversation now! Panelists include:

Mercedes_150M. Mercedes Stickler
Senior Land Tenure and Evaluation Specialist, USAID Land Tenure and Resource Management Office

Barthel_2Kevin Barthel
Practice Manager for Land Administration, Land Alliance, Inc.

Karol_150Karol Boudreaux
Land Tenure & Natural Resource Management Practice Lead, The Cloudburst Group

Tiernan_150Tiernan Mennen
Global Practice Lead on Land and Property Rights, Chemonics

For more information, to register, and to post questions visit: Agrilinks’ Ask Ag Chat

LandPKS Mobile Applications Launch

On April 14, 2015 the Land Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS) program, which aims to increase access to global and local land potential knowledge, will host a brownbag/webinar marking the global release of its first two mobile applications: Land Info and Land Cover.
Event Details:
A recording of the event will be made available under Videos.
Brownbag/Webinar: LandPKS Mobile Applications
Speakers: Jeffrey Herrick, LandPKS Lead
April 14, 2015
12:30 – 2:00 pm
Seminar Room, North Tower, Ronald Reagan Building
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 

Mobile Solutions Matter for Land

LandPKS develops innovative mobile data collection and analysis methods and tools to support local land use planning and to optimize design and implementation of food security, land restoration, climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation programs. USAID is working with USDA’s Agriculture Research Service to support LandPKS development and field testing. This brownbag/webinar will feature the official release of the first two mobile applications (Land Info and Land Cover) – available on the Google Play Story – as well as a discussion of how these applications are currently being used in sub-Saharan pilot areas. The outlook for integrated development of other mobile application modules will also be discussed.

LandPKS Webinar: Innovative Knowledge Systems for Land Management

The Land Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS) is a program that aims to increase access to global and local land potential knowledge. The program develops innovative mobile data collection and analysis methods and tools to support local land use planning and to optimize design and implementation of food security, land restoration, climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation programs.

USAID’s Office of Land Tenure and Resource Management is working with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service to support LandPKS development and field testing.

Presenters:

  • Jeffrey Herrick, LandPKS Global Lead, USDA Agricultural Research Service
  • Adam Beh, LandPKS Global Coordinator, USDA Agricultural Research Service
  • Lilian Ndungu, LandPKS GIS & Data Coordinator, Regional Center for Mapping of Resources for Development
  • Ioana Bouvier, LandPKS USAID Agreement Manager, USAID/E3/LTRM

Watch the recorded webinar

Land Tenure and Disasters: Response, Rebuilding, Resilience

After a disaster, land and property rights are often overlooked in response and rebuilding efforts. The lack of clear rights often leads to conflict, delay, and higher costs. But we can address these problems before a disaster strikes. We can:

  • Create projects that strengthen the capacity of land administration institutions and staff;
  • Build resilience by identifying safe and secure spaces for reconstruction;
  • Include communities in documenting land rights and creating solutions for shelter; and
  • Recognize the rights of vulnerable communities living in informal housing.

Learn how in a breakfast panel discussion. Experts will share their experiences in Sri Lanka, Haiti, and Indonesia. Panelists:

  • Dr. Cynthia Caron, Assistant Professor of International Development and Social Change at Clark University
  • Adriana Navarro-Sertich, Housing and Urban Planning Advisor at UNOPS Haiti-Washington
  • Bharat Pathak, Independent Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation Consultant (Former Director at Mercy Corps in Indonesia)

This breakfast panel discussion will be hosted by USAID’s Office of Land Tenure and Resource Management. The event is open to the public and participants are welcome to attend in person or online. Doors will open at 8:15 a.m. The discussion will begin at 8:45 a.m. Washington DC Economic Partnership The Pepco Room 1495 F Street, NW Washington, DC

2014 World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty

Every year, the World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty brings together representatives from governments, the development community, civil society, academia, and the private sector to discuss issues of concern to communities, land practitioners and policymakers worldwide. The growing importance of this event highlights the increasing recognition that resource governance is central to alleviating poverty, promoting economic development, improving food security, limiting conflicts, and increasing stability.

To keep up with the advancing global dialogue on land and resource rights, follow news and events from the 2014 World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty here.

2013 World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty

Every year, the World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty brings together representatives from governments, the development community, civil society, academia, and the private sector to discuss issues of concern to communities, land practitioners and policymakers worldwide. The growing importance of this event highlights the increasing recognition that resource governance is central to alleviating poverty, promoting economic development, improving food security, limiting conflicts, and increasing stability.

To keep up with the advancing global dialogue on land and resource rights, follow news and events from the 2013 World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty here.

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