Strengthening land-use and freshwater governance

Measures to enable improved land and water governance include the following:

• Conduct governance analyses:
  • Conduct analyses to uncover the root causes of governance problems and related socio-economic and political dynamics, and their implications on the management of natural resources. These analyses should facilitate understanding of existing institutions, their evolution, and how power and capacity asymmetries influence the work of those institutions in practice.
• Engage all stakeholders through an inclusive approach:
  • Build multistakeholder collaboration to draw on various knowledge systems, values and experiences. The inclusion of diverse stakeholders in policy decisions about land and water governance contribute to the building of trust, social cohesion and the rule of law.
  • Ensure a people-centered land governance approach that recognizes the importance of securing the rights of smallholders and family farmers to land, water, and other natural resources. Enable equitable access to water resources, with particular attention to ensuring access for marginalized groups, including Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, and youth. This approach should also consider the reliance of these groups on natural ecosystems and the services they deliver.
  • Include legal requirements for civic engagement and public consultation for land and water decision-making in environmental laws, water and land sectoral laws, and planning laws, as well as impact assessment requirements.
  • Develop polycentric governance systems with shared responsibilities across decision-making at various levels, incorporating biodiversity considerations at every level of governance.
• Develop coordinated and coherent policies and approaches:
  • Improve coordination on land and water management to identify and address overlaps and trade-offs, improve performance across multiple levels of government, reduce costs and identify areas where lines of authority can be better delineated. Improved coordination is also necessary to equitably distribute co-benefits from policies and decisions, especially for vulnerable populations.
  • Identify areas for harmonization across key resource sectors (water, land, forests, fisheries, etc.).
  • Accounting for biodiversity targets and climate commitments, alongside food security, in the context of coordination frameworks can ultimately result in more effective and efficient policy measures and processes. Improved coordination is also necessary to equitably distribute co-benefits from policies and decisions, especially for vulnerable populations.
  • Include public consultation requirements in the environmental impact assessments of proposed projects, and ensure these requirements are implemented and enforced appropriately.
• Strengthen and harmonize land and water tenure systems:
  • Develop tools and capacity for the integration of tenure assessments in water governance systems. Integrate biodiversity metrics into tenure assessment tools, ensuring protection of areas of high conservation value.
  • Secure tenure rights and recognize and protect local land rights that people consider socially legitimate, including customary rights where relevant.
  • Take a “bundle of rights” approach to tenure systems to to ensure effective enjoyment of rights of access, use and management in the absence of ownership rights.
  • Develop policy actions that encourage collective ownership, support Indigenous Peoples’ land rights and regulate access to and use of resources such as land, water and biodiversity.
  • Ensure Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ land rights in carbon offset markets to avoid “green grabbing,” where large investments by international actors in carbon offset projects can prompt the forceful relocation of local communities.
• Improve employment, livelihoods and gender equity:
  • Empower women by ensuring legislation enables them to seek and acquire formal rights to land and water, as well as participate in future planning and decision-making.
  • Improve women producers’ access to water and economic resources, ensure their participation in water management decisions, and establish fair working conditions by requiring systematic disaggregation of gender data at the national level. This requires appropriate coordination between institutions from the agricultural and water sectors, and national statistical services.
  • Implement integrated water resource management and sustainable and circular sanitation solutions.
  • Promote sustainable management of land resources and landscapes, including through local territorial or catchment planning and appropriate governance approaches. See Reducing land-use change and conversion of natural ecosystems for food production, Implementing integrated crop-livestock systems and Implementing nature-positive food production practices.
  • Implement the necessary legal frameworks for integrated land use planning, including land use planning laws, zoning laws and planning provisions within relevant sectoral legislation to mainstream sustainable management across diverse frameworks and governance levels.
  • Implement requirements to conduct robust environmental impact assessments. Strategic environmental assessments can help to address existing or future landscape degradation and provide opportunities for public participation.
  • Align incentives for integrated landscape management through redirecting or removing harmful subsidies and payment for ecosystem services (PES) schemes. The former is particularly relevant for countries where land and water resources are dominated by industrial food production.
  • Adopt land use planning based on systematic assessment and comparison of alternative land-use options, with the aim of selecting and implementing land uses that improve socio-economic conditions while conserving natural resources and ecosystems.
  • Optimize land use through agroecological practices that efficiently use water and fertilizers, preserve ecosystem functions, and contribute to resilient landscapes. See Implementing nature-positive food production practices.
• Restore biodiversity: Develop and implement food production practices that restore biodiversity in active agricultural land. Restore less productive areas to natural habitat for biodiversity conservation. This is particularly relevant for countries where land and water resources are dominated by industrial food production.
• Adopt management approaches that consider entire ecosystems, promoting sustainable use of natural resources and maintaining ecological balance.
• Sustainably manage and protect groundwater resources. Set sustainable extraction limits, enhance aquifer recharge through natural or managed replenishment and reduce overall water use.
• Allocate water in a fair, equitable, flexible and locally appropriate manner.
• Promote water user associations (WUAs). WUAs are organizations which allow water users to govern collective water use, water allocation and water preservation autonomously at the local level.
• Use Indigenous solutions in water management, including:
  • Rainwater harvesting: collection of rainfall runoff from roofs or ground surfaces for subsequent use in agricultural production (e.g. crop irrigation or soil conservation). Different storage options include soil moisture storage (in structures facilitating infiltration), groundwater storage (in structures facilitating infiltration) and surface storage (in artificial structures such as tanks, ponds, dams or reservoirs).
  • Step wells: Step wells are a specific type of underground reservoir and water storage system commonly used in ancient India. They have a flight of stairs designed to reach the water table, and entrap rainwater and replenish groundwater levels over time. Step wells can help local communities to sustain their supply and sanitation needs.
  • Persian wheels:  The Persian wheel is a mechanical water lifting device for lifting water from water sources, typically open wells. The wheel is usually powered by draught animals and traditionally used in South Asia. The wheel offers a carbon-free way of allocating water efficiently and sustainably.
• Adopt nature-based solutions (NbS) and agroecological approaches: Measures include restoration and protection of freshwater ecosystems such as rivers, lakes, wetlands, floodplains and watersheds. For more information, see Transitioning to nature-positive and climate-resilient freshwater management, Implementing improved management practices in grasslands, Mainstreaming agroecology principles for food goveranance, and Implementing nature-positive food production practices.
• Implement integrated water resource management: This involves increased collaboration and coordination by water users across sectors and borders.
• Adapt (direct and indirect) water pricing mechanisms: 
  • Phase out subsidies that encourage unsustainable water use and water withdrawals and pollution.
  • Adopt pricing mechanisms that encourage water-efficient practices and sustainable use of freshwater ecosystems.

Enabling governance measures are key to strengthening land-use and freshwater governance, and can include the following:

• Support national and decentralized institutions (including provincial and local planning bodies and municipalities) in the development of integrated spatial and participatory planning tools.
  • This includes the use of remote sensing and diagnostic tools on the ground, and stakeholder analysis to integrate biodiversity and socioeconomic development goals and address rural–urban interactions.
• Invest in management practices and equity-sensitive research for more efficient use of natural resources in food production.
• Invest in technology, research and infrastructure for locally appropriate seeds and breeds.
• Improve access to productive inputs that enable efficient and sustainable resource use (e.g., machinery or seeds).
• Build sustainable local supply chains through investment and financial incentives, adopting inclusive approaches and developing policies, programs, and strategies for labour protection of food workers.
• Attract responsible investment in rural infrastructure, logistics, technologies, services, and supply chains for sustainable, equitable food development.
• Attract responsible investment in small enterprise development – for example, through skills development, vocational programs, mentorship, job pairing, business education, and entrepreneurship – with a focus on connecting populations who face inequalities, particularly Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, and youth, to markets.
• Adopt a systems approach to governing natural for food production in an equitable and sustainable manner.
  • This involves creating inclusive platforms and partnerships that bring together practitioners and experts from agriculture, the environment, energy, land use, water and food.
• Improve data collection and monitoring of terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity to inform policymaking.
• Ensure system preparedness, which requires improved data availability on water and terrestrial systems, e.g. through citizen science or citizen-state interface in data collection.

Key tools and guides to support the successful implementation of strengthened land-use and freshwater governance may include:

Tools

Guides

Strengthening land-use and freshwater governance can also help advance the targets of the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), as well as those of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Climate change mitigation benefits

Enhanced land-use and freshwater governance can play a key role in mitigating climate change. Improved and sustainable governance of land use and freshwater ensures that terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems can perform vital functions, including carbon sequestration.

Climate change adaptation benefits

Among the seven key areas of adaptation put forward in the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience, strengthening land-use and freshwater governance can directly contribute to:

• Target 9a (Water & Sanitation): Integrated water resource management ensures that water is distributed fairly and used efficiently, particularly during droughts or floods. Strong governance supports the development and maintenance of resilient water infrastructure and supplies, protects water quality, and ensures reliable access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities for all communities.
• Targets 9a & 9b (Water & Sanitation and Food & Agriculture): Effective land-use and freshwater governance ensures that agricultural land is managed sustainably and that water resources are allocated efficiently. This supports climate-resilient farming practices, improves crop yields, and secures food supply chains. It also helps smallholder farmers adapt to changing rainfall patterns and water scarcity, reducing the risk of food insecurity.
• Targets 9a & 9c (Water & Sanitation and Health): Strong land-use and freshwater governance supports human health since it prevents pollution, supports sanitation, and ensures that communities are protected from waterborne diseases and the health impacts of climate change. It also supports the resilience of health infrastructure and services.
• Targets 9a & 9d (Water & Sanitation and Ecosystems): Robust governance frameworks protect natural habitats from overexploitation and degradation. By regulating land conversion and water extraction, these frameworks help maintain ecosystem services such as pollination, soil fertility, and water purification. This, in turn, enhances biodiversity and enables ecosystems to better withstand and recover from climate stresses.
• Target 9e (Infrastructure): Land-use planning that accounts for climate risks such as flooding, sea-level rise, or heatwaves can guide the placement and design of infrastructure. This reduces vulnerability to climate impacts, protects investments, and ensures that infrastructure systems (roads, bridges, utilities) remain functional and safe under changing conditions.
• Target 9f (Livelihoods): Clear governance structures secure land and water rights, reduce conflicts, and support sustainable resource use. This enables communities to diversify income sources, build resilience to climate shocks, and sustain their way of life.

Biodiversity benefits

Action under this policy option can also help to deliver on several KM-GBF targets, in particular:

• Target 1 (Plan and Manage all Areas To Reduce Biodiversity Loss):  Improved land use and freshwater governance directly support this target by ensuring all areas are under participatory, integrated, and biodiversity-inclusive spatial planning. Effective management processes such as environmental impact assessments complement spatial planning in addressing land and water use changes.
• Target 3 (Conserve 30% of Land, Waters and Seas): Strengthened governance contributes to the effective conservation and management of terrestrial, inland water, and marine areas. It supports the implementation of ecologically representative, well-connected, and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.
• Target 7 (Reduce Pollution to Levels That Are Not Harmful to Biodiversity): Strengthened governance can lead to better management of agricultural runoff and industrial discharges, which are significant sources of soil and freshwater pollution. Controlling pollutants can improve water quality, thereby supporting healthier ecosystems and reducing biodiversity loss.
• Target 10 (Enhance Biodiversity and Sustainability in Agriculture, Aquaculture, Fisheries, and Forestry): Enhanced land-use and freshwater governance ensures that areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry are managed sustainably. It promotes the application of biodiversity-friendly practices, such as agroecological approaches, which optimize land use through efficient water and fertilizer use while preserving ecosystem functions. This governance approach also supports the implementation of integrated water resource management, encouraging collaboration across sectors and borders.
• Target 11 (Restore, Maintain and Enhance Nature’s Contributions to People): Enhanced governance of land use and freshwater resources contributes to maintaining and enhancing nature’s contributions to people. This includes regulating air and water quality, pollination, and protecting against hazards and extreme events. Improved management of these resources ensures the continued provision of ecosystem services that are crucial for human well-being.

Other sustainable development benefits

This report and this article provide an overview of how strengthening land-use and freshwater governance can support delivery of multiple SDGs by:

• SDG 1 (No Poverty): fostering progress towards equal ownership and control of land and its resources.
• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): contributing to enhancing land productivity and thus the provision of food.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): ensuring opportunities for women to participate in decision-making and to have equal rights to resources.
• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation):  improving preservation of groundwater resources and water quality.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): improving inclusion of women, youth, and marginalized groups.
• SDG 13 (Climate Action): reducing GHG emissions and promoting carbon sequestration and storage.
• SDG 15 (Life on Land): increasing biodiversity conservation and reducing land degradation.

The success of interventions and projects that strengthen land-use and freshwater governance depends on their design and effective implementation, which can be hindered by both technical and non-technical challenges, including:

• Negative effects of infrastructure for surface water storage: Construction of (large) artificial storage structures such as dams or reservoirs can involve the displacement of communities and disrupt local ecosystems. Such structures can also experience high water losses from evaporation.
• Economic development constraints: Implementing strong land-use regulations may influence investor behaviour, potentially discouraging those who prefer traditional or ‘business-as-usual’ models. Likewise, protecting freshwater ecosystems may limit certain economic activities, such as industrial agriculture or hydropower development.
• Resource allocation conflicts: Enhanced governance can lead to conflicts among stakeholders over resource allocation, especially when balancing agricultural needs with ecosystem preservation.

The following measures, as part of a comprehensive and holistic approach to improving land-use and freshwater governance interventions, can help reduce trade-offs and address implementation challenges:

• Promote nature-based solutions for increased natural water retention.
• Promote traditional or small-scale techniques for water harvesting and storage.
• Actively involve local communities, farmers, industries, and conservation groups in decision-making processes.
• Incorporate ecosystem services valuation into policy development to account for both economic and ecological benefits.
• Plan policies to create sustainable economic development and investment opportunities, and leverage the positive economic effects of stronger land management systems.

Effective tracking of the implementation of strong land-use and freshwater governance frameworks depends on strong monitoring tools, clear indicators, and structured frameworks that capture both implementation progress and related biodiversity and climate outcomes.

Indicators to monitor biodiversity outcomes

The Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity agreed to a comprehensive set of headline, component, and complementary indicators for tracking progress toward the targets of the KM-GBF. Some of these indicators could also be functional for monitoring the implementation of this policy option. These indicators are defined as follows:

Tools to monitor biodiversity outcomes

Tools to monitor climate outcomes

Some examples of project implementation costs include:

• Implementation of the World Bank’s Sustainable Landscape Management Project in Madagascar cost approximately USD 107 million over a seven-year period. The program seeks to establish an integrated, multi-stakeholder approach to governing natural resources. 
• As part of the World Bank’s Indonesia Sustainable Landscape Management Program (SLMP), approximately USD 22 million was allocated for the Indonesia Forest Investment Program, approximately USD 6 million was allocated for the Dedicated Grant Mechanism for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and approximately USD 14 million was allocated for the Social Forestry program.

Notable examples of measures to strengthen land-use and freshwater governance include:

• Freshwater Challenge: Championed by countries in the Global South, the Freshwater Challenge is the world’s largest-ever river and wetland restoration initiative – aiming to restore 300,000km of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of degraded wetlands by 2030 and protect intact freshwater ecosystems. Countries must set national targets and multilateral and bilateral donors and funders must commit resources – not just from ‘environmental’ pots but from funds for climate adaptation, disaster-risk reduction, water security and so on – to help them achieve these ambitious targets. This initiative demonstrates how a combination of policy and governance measures (e.g. improved coordination, multistakeholder collaboration, data collection/monitoring, polycentric governance and commitment to climate goals) can be used to design policies and programs that address land and water governance issues.
• The following examples illustrate how targeted interventions in freshwater governance can align with biodiversity goals while addressing local environmental challenges.
  • Colombia: Through UNEP’s Generation Restoration Cities project, Barranquilla is restoring the polluted Leon Creek with community participation. This initiative not only improves water quality but also enhances urban biodiversity by reviving natural habitats along the creek.
  • Thailand: Indigenous P’ganyaw (Karen) communities have created over 50 “no-take river reserves” along the Mae Ngao River. These zones ban extractive activities to boost fish stocks and serve as a model for preventing biodiversity loss through community-led freshwater governance.
  • Bangladesh: The city of Sirajganj is establishing a green corridor around its river to enhance biodiversity and improve water management. This initiative integrates urban development with ecological restoration, benefiting both people and nature.
  • Somalia: In drought-prone Somalia, UNEP and the European Union are helping communities build boreholes, rehabilitate wells for irrigation, and implement drip irrigation systems. This approach conserves water resources while supporting agriculture and biodiversity in arid regions.

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