Kathmandu: Secretary of the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Damodar Regmi said that the ministry is not only for those who own land but also for the landless. He informed that work is being done to provide access to the land for women, indigenous and marginalized people. He also expressed Ministry’s willingness to collaborate with CSOs to create an environment where land is not only linked with acquisition but also with income.
He said this while inaugurating the “Securing land rights of women and indigenous peoples in the face of climate change in South Asia” ongoing in Kathmandu co-organized by Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Community Self-Reliance Center, and International Land Coalition.
Member of Federal Parliament, and land rights activist Saraswati Subba said these issues are not prioritized at local and federal level and therefore it is necessary to have strong activism from the affected population.
In the event, plenary sessions were conducted on various topics. In that context, Jagat Deuja, the Executive Director of Community Self Reliance Center, brought forth the notion that till now, we do not have a clarity on the land reform agenda, and it is necessary to have the clarity in our concept for us to reach the destination. Similarly, Jagat Basnet, Advocacy, Research and Policy Analyst of the Center, informed that land reform has taken place in 22 countries in Asia and that in many countries the poor have lost it.
This Regional Environmental Policy Dialogue where Nepali and foreign participants will share their views, experiences and suggestions will last for 3 days. In the program, emphasis was placed on inclusion and gender justice especially due to climate change. About 70 participants from different countries including Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Indonesia and India are participating in the program.
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