Stockholm International Water Institute » land acquisition

The Global Rush for Land: What about Water?

admin — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:56:56 +0000

This article presents the SIWI report “Land Acquisitions: How Will They Impact Transboundary Waters?”, which explores how the current surge in land acquisitions could impact transboundary water resources and relations, a topic that has received little attention previously. The report was launched at the 6th World Water Forum.

Article in Stockholm Water Front, issue no 1, 2012.

Land Acquisitions: How Will They Impact Transboundary Waters?

admin — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:56:45 +0000

This exploratory report investigates how the current surge in land acquisitions and investments by foreign countries, sovereign wealth funds and private corporations, as well as domestic investors, will affect transboundary water management, an area where current knowledge is sparse. The majority of land deals tend to be made in places with low land lease prices, weak legislation, inexpensive labour and relative abundance of land and water and very few include regulations or agreements for water used on the acquired territories. With many of the largest land leasing countries located on the transboundary water basins, shared waters will be affected with unknown implications for regional relations. Two case illustrations in the Nile and Niger basin regions are presented to explore how land acquisitions have affected global, regional, national and local actors in those areas and point out key questions that require more research.

Report published in 2012.

Report: Land acquisitions – How will they impact transboundary waters?

Nora — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 10:54:08 +0000

A new exploratory report, Land acquisitions: How will they impact transboundary waters? investigates how the current surge in land acquisitions and investments by foreign countries, sovereign wealth funds, private corporations and domestic investors will affect transboundary water management. an area where current knowledge is sparse.

According to the report, the majority of land deals tend to be made in places with low land lease prices, weak legislation, inexpensive labour and relative abundance of land and water and very few include regulations or agreements for water used on the acquired territories. With many of the largest land leasing countries located on the transboundary water basins, shared waters will be affected with unknown implications for regional relations. Two case illustrations in the Nile and Niger basin regions are presented to explore how land acquisitions have affected global, regional, national and local actors in those areas and point out key questions that require more research.

Download the full report here.

Read the Press Release from the report launch.

Key messages from the report:

- Land investment is a water investment. Water is often presumed to be included without explicitly being mentioned in land lease agreements.

- Regional Economic Communities (RECs), River Basin Organisations (RBOs) and regional organisations have little or no role in the land acquisitions on record to date. Large land deals will, however, very likely impact their mandate and ability to function.

- The type of water (green water or blue water and the intensity of its use) used for the land investments determines its effect on transboundary water management.

- Water that is being used for irrigation in land leased by foreign parties does not feature in the transboundary discussions in many, if not all, shared basins.

- Water needs should be put into the land acquisition contracts in order to clarify the water requirements of the investors´ projects and to regulate their water use.

- Sustainable water use should be acknowledged explicitly in the international standards for responsible agro-business investments.