Reducing inequality within and among countries is an issue that calls for global solutions. Today, the richest 10 percent earns around 40 percent of total global income. Fighting income inequality is one of the few sustainable development goals where Danish consulting engineering companies mostly contribute indirectly, with few exceptions, such as strengthening land rights for some of the poorest in the world.
PROJECT: STRENGTHENING LAND RIGHTS IN UPLAND COMMUNITIES IN LAOS
The majority of communities in rural upland areas of Lao PDR belongs to ethnic minority groups in areas where competing interests have put pressure on land resources. The lack of security to land makes the groups extra vulnerable and marginalized. Based on studies of current rotational land use systems, the Agrobiodiversity Initiative (TABI, 2009-2020) supports the communities with developing and implementing participatory land use plans. So far the plans and maps cover more than 800,000 ha in 280 villages. The results are very encouraging and has given the communities an increased sense of land security, entailing both significant decrease in incidents caused by encroachments by outsiders as well as less forest fires.
COUNTRY: LAOS
COMPANY: NIRAS A/S
SECONDARY GOALS: 1 & 15