FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The profiles bring together country-level evidence on women’s rights, Indigenous and community tenure, land reform, displacement and investment
PARIS, October 28, 2026 — TenureSecurity.org has updated its collection of 70 country profiles, providing researchers, journalists, policymakers, practitioners and community organizations with detailed analysis of the laws, institutions and pressures shaping land and resource rights around the world.
The profiles show how decisions about land are connected to some of today’s most pressing challenges: rebuilding after war, protecting forests, producing food, expanding cities and ensuring that women and communities can exercise their rights. The collection is available at tenuresecurity.org/country-profiles.
The need for accessible information is clear. In a 2024 Prindex assessment covering 108 countries, an estimated 1.1 billion adults said they felt insecure about their rights to land or housing. The figure reflects people’s perceptions, including their concern that they could lose their rights within five years.
“Land rights can determine whether a family can grow food, rebuild a home, protect a forest or benefit from an investment in its community,” said Neil Sorensen, Founder of TenureSecurity.org. “But the answers are rarely found in one law or one document. We need to understand who uses the land, whose rights are recognized, and what happens when those rights are challenged.”
The profiles highlight developments across countries and regions:
- In the Philippines, an agrarian reform project is converting collective land awards into individual titles when beneficiaries choose to participate. The World Bank reported that, by July 2025, women’s names appeared on 84 percent of the 163,176 individual electronic titles issued through the project. That figure concerns the project’s titles, including jointly held land; it is not a national measure of women’s land ownership.
- In Senegal, a land registration initiative is working to document rights while confronting longstanding barriers to women’s access. The World Bank reported in April 2026 that women accounted for nearly 10 percent of certificates issued through the project, with 30 percent set as a target for expansion. The profile also examines how family farming, pastoral movement and investment intersect on land governed under the national-domain system.
- In Ukraine, the consequences of Russia’s invasion reach far beyond damaged buildings. A joint assessment by Ukraine’s government, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations estimated that 14 percent of housing had been damaged or destroyed by the end of 2025, affecting more than three million households. The profile examines displacement, explosive hazards, land records and the difference between registering a claim and receiving compensation.
- In Vietnam, land-use rights and decisions about forests are central to both development and climate policy. The country received $51.5 million for verified forest emissions reductions covering 2018–2019, raising questions about how benefits and responsibilities are shared with forest-dependent communities. Its 2024 Land Law is in force, while a further revised law was presented to the National Assembly for consideration in October 2026.
- In Thailand, a 2025 law protects aspects of ethnic groups’ cultural and land-related rights. UN Human Rights has described the law as an important step while noting that it falls short of formally recognizing Indigenous Peoples. The profile explores the implications for communities whose customary lands overlap with forests and protected areas.
- In Namibia, a proposed Land Bill brings questions of communal rights, commercial farmland and land redistribution before Parliament. The bill remains a proposal; existing legislation continues to govern. The profile also considers ancestral land claims and the enduring effects of colonial dispossession.
- In Pakistan, access to land is closely tied to access to water. In 2025, the federal government said it would not proceed with new canals without agreement among the provinces. The profile examines that decision alongside women’s inheritance rights, flood recovery and the differing land administration systems across the country.
The wider collection also includes profiles for countries such as Honduras, Madagascar, Ghana and Zambia. The profiles bring together linked sources and analysis on customary and community tenure, women’s rights, agriculture, forests, mining, land administration and displacement.
“Good land governance starts with listening to the people whose lives are most affected,” Sorensen said. “My hope is that these profiles help people ask better questions, connect evidence across sectors and make decisions that respect rights in practice.”
TenureSecurity.org invites journalists, researchers, community organizations and others working on land and resource rights to explore the profiles and share relevant research and perspectives through its contribution page.
Explore the country profiles: tenuresecurity.org/country-profiles
About TenureSecurity.org
TenureSecurity.org is an independent initiative founded by Neil Sorensen to share knowledge, evidence and diverse perspectives on land and resource tenure security. It supports understanding, dialogue and informed action for equitable and inclusive governance of land and natural resources.
Media contact
Neil Sorensen
Founder, TenureSecurity.org
neil.sorensen@tenuresecurity.org