Land tenure changes are on the rise throughout the world as a result of increased migration from rural to urban areas, expansion of infrastructure, commercial pressures on agricultural land, extractive activities, and climate change. Shifts in land tenure arrangements are proceeding through compulsory acquisitions (i.e. expropriations) and voluntary market transactions, such large-scale land leases and concessions. With a rise in land tenure changes, forced evictions, and displaced populations comes a growing need to ensure that affected landholders are adequately compensated and not worse-off than before they lost possession of their land. The key question is how does one put a price tag on land and livelihoods? To answer some of the questions around fair land compensation, True Price and Rethinking Expropriation Law has recently launched guidelines for creating a protocol on fair compensation. This document highlights key problems associated with establishing guidelines on fair compensation, and raises a set of fascinating questions and discussion points.
Land Portal invites you to respond to one or more of these questions and discussion points. The comments will serve as an input to a conference organized by Rethinking Expropriation Law initiative (Cape Town, South Africa, 7-9.12). The Conference aims at discussing land valuation, compensation for expropriation, and the creation of a new protocol on fair compensation. Conference participants will have an opportunity to respond to any questions you raise and a summary report of their responses will be posted on the Land Debate page.
- What should be the prerequisites to fair compensation?
- Once the decision to acquire land is made and the prerequisites to fair compensation are fulfilled: Who should be compensated?
- Which losses should be compensated?
- What forms of compensation are appropriate?
- What should be the rules of procedure?
For more detailed set of questions, please visit the Land Portal Website