Universiteit Leiden

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Research project

Avoiding conflict after the cyclone: Land rights and environmental displacement in Central Mozambique

This socio-legal research focuses on the impacts of environmental displacement on land rights and land-related conflict in Mozambique in the aftermath of cyclone Idai, and on the role of the legal framework in addressing these problems.

Duration
2019 - 2020
Contact
Carolien Jacobs
Funding
Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law

In March 2019 cyclone Idai hit central Mozambique with unprecedented strength, affecting the lives of 1.8 million people and displacing thousands. Events such as this easily lead to land-related conflict, both in the areas directly affected by the storm, and in the locations where displaced victims seek shelter. The questions this raises will become ever more pertinent in light of ongoing climate change: How do people address land-related problems caused by environmental displacement, once the emergency aid organizations have left? What role do state institutions and legislation play in addressing these problems, and can their performance be improved? How do they deal with customary systems? And can a legal framework embrace a human rights-based approach to environmental displacement?

This socio-legal research focuses on the land-related impacts of environmental displacement in Mozambique in the aftermath of cyclone Idai, examining the effects of environmental displacement on land rights and conflict, and the role of the legal framework in addressing these land-related problems. It also intends to be the start of a larger comparative project on climate change, environmental displacement, and land-related conflict.

Publications

As part of the project, research reports (both in English and in Portuguese) and policy briefs (both in English and in Portuguese) were published by the Van Vollenhoven Institute for Law, Governance and Society (VVI):

Research reports:

Policy Briefs:

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