Advancing Land Policy and Governance in North Africa: Highlights from NELGA’s First International Knowledge Forum
Over 80 academics and practitioners gathered at the Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire (IAV) Hassan II in Rabat, Morocco, for the North Africa Node of NELGA’s first international knowledge forum. The event, which took place on June 20–22, 2023, was inaugurated by IAV Director and NELGA Coordinator, Professor Moha El-Ayachi, and the African Land Policy Centre (ALPC), with the presence of GIZ-AU’s SLGA and GIZ Morocco.
The conference focused on knowledge dissemination and the exchange of research findings on topics ranging from curriculum development and land policy practices to innovative technologies for digital transformation in the field of land governance in North Africa. Participants emphasized the importance of gender inclusion and integrating land policy actions into national policy dialogue. While sustainable development goals were discussed as the main umbrella for developing indicators and activities that inform land policy, participants agreed on the need for policy reforms that consider the socio-economic and environmental dimensions of land development.
Throughout the forum, NELGA North Africa partners presented their thematic and cross-over research on topics such as land governance and sustainable cities in Egypt, the use of digital technologies for the management of natural risks in Morocco, and new land tenure policies as economic partnership frameworks in Mauritania. The conference also provided a platform for experts, doctoral students, and post-docs to present their research on geospatial technologies in land evaluation, planning, and yield estimation. Participants were able to interact with the presenters about the opportunities and limitations of these technologies and the benefits of applying them in the current context of African land governance.
The forum ended with a closing note from Professor Moha El-Ayachi, who emphasized the importance of multistakeholder partnerships in promoting land governance. He reiterated the value of the SLGA program as a strategic component in the collaboration between NELGA NA and GIZ.