There is a growing body of research showing that stronger land tenure security can contribute to important development outcomes, including household investment, women’s empowerment, agricultural productivity, more effective land rental markets, improved access to credit, stronger natural resource governance, and greater resilience in the face of social, economic, and environmental change.
While the evidence is encouraging, important knowledge gaps remain. Findings vary across regions and contexts, and there is still much to learn about which approaches are most effective, for whom, and under what conditions. For example, while some land formalization programs have generated positive economic and food security outcomes, results in other settings have been more mixed. There is also a continuing need for research on a wider range of approaches to strengthening tenure security, including customary and collective systems, communal land governance, women’s land rights, Indigenous and community land tenure, and locally grounded institutional reforms.
In this context, research and publications on land issues play an essential role in informing policy, practice, and public debate. They help deepen understanding of the relationship between land tenure and broader development challenges, including poverty reduction, gender equality, food security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, natural resource management, conflict prevention, democratic governance, and resilience.
All publications, datasets, documentation, summary materials, and related tools shared here are intended to support learning, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making. We encourage researchers, governments, practitioners, civil society organizations, and others to explore and use these resources in accordance with their terms of use.