Last month, USAID launched the Land Investor Survey, which intends to establish and analyze a database on private sector perceptions of land tenure risks and costs. The project will reach out to potential survey respondents that might have land-based investments by facilitating two phases of data collection. The first phase is open and will be used to identify qualified companies or investors that meet the general screening criteria. All investors are invited to complete the initial 10-minute survey by November 30, 2017.
Clear, enforceable land rights are essential for land-based investments. Nonetheless, developing land-based projects in many parts of the world is often challenging because of uncertain land rights – for instance, even when a developer holds the legal right to develop a project on a certain piece of land, local people may be using that land for agriculture, pasture, shelter, water sources, etc. Their rights are rooted in customary tenure systems, and they may protest development of the energy project.
Through participation in this new investor survey on land, help us build the case that: (1) clear, secure land rights are paramount for land-based investments; (2) substantial sums are left on the table when investors don’t pursue projects because of uncertain land rights; and (3) investors incur significant costs if protest, conflict or other project delays or abandonment because of land issues arise. Also, (4) help us shine a light on successful investments that benefit local landholders.
Investors, please share your experience by completing our initial 10-minute survey by November 30, 2017. To access this survey, please click here or copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LandInvestorSurvey.
Your individual responses are confidential and used solely for this project. The final report will report data in an aggregate form, with all identifiable information removed. The dataset will not be shared with the public.
If you have any questions, please contact survey@indufor-na.com. Thank you in advance for your participation!