What is LandMark?
The global platform of Indigenous & Community lands
Landmark is a consortium of local, regional, and international organizations that have a mission to support Indigenous Peoples' and local communities' land and resource rights globally. Together, we have created the first online, interactive global platform that is designed to help Indigenous Peoples and local communities protect their land rights and secure tenure over their lands.
Key features of the LandMark platform
Visibility & awareness of land rights
Increasing awareness of the presence and rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to the lands they hold and use globally, the threats that they face, and the contributions that they make to sustainably managing the environment.
Impact analysis
Enabling Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and their supporters to conduct impact analyses of their lands with little to no mapping expertise needed, generating the evidence they need to make a strong case for land rights.
Resources & guidance
Connecting Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and their supporters to resources and guidance to help them map and protect their lands and advocate for stronger land rights.
LandMark fills a critical gap on Indigenous & Local Community land rights
Why was LandMark developed?
Launched in 2015, LandMark provides Indigenous Peoples and local communities around the world with an online global platform to let governments, development assistance agencies, companies, investors, researchers, advocates, and others know of the lands they hold and use. It provides them the opportunity to be proactive in their efforts to protect their lands and not just reactive to imminent threats that often emerge without warning and with little time to respond in effective ways. By shining a light on collectively held lands around the world, it will be clear to all parties that these lands are not vacant, idle, or necessarily available for outsiders.
More indigenous territory has been claimed by maps than by guns. This assertion has its corollary: more indigenous territory can be defended and reclaimed by maps than by guns.
Who is involved in LandMark?
The LandMark initiative is dedicated to working directly with Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and their partner organizations to raise visibility of land rights and advocate for their importance. To make this possible, LandMark is composed of a Steering Group of organizations that are dedicated to supporting land rights.
Indigenous and Community lands are vital for our ecosystems
Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities sustainably manage many of the world’s lands and natural resources that are critical for mitigating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and providing other critical ecosystem services that benefit society.
These lands are currently at risk
Indigenous and community lands are vulnerable to a multitude of threats, especially when tenure is insecure. These include extractive industries such as oil and gas, mineral mining, and timber, as well as infrastructure development, industrial agriculture, and other large-scale land acquisitions.
Closing the Map Gap
As of today, the Indigenous and Community land maps on LandMark cover 30% of the world’s land, out of an estimated 50% or more that is held by Indigenous Peoples and Communities globally.
The gap in existing maps leaves many Indigenous and Local Community lands invisible and therefore vulnerable to irregular acquisitions and expropriations.
Help us close the map gap by contributing data to LandMark.
Who Can Use LandMark
Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities, and supporting civil society organizations
Can use LandMark to increase their visibility to governments, corporations, and other actors; and use LandMark’s tools to provide evidence of the threats that they face and the assets that they hold as part of their advocacy for secure land tenure.
National governments
Use the platform to better recognize Indigenous and local community land rights, enabling public officials to compare the situation in their country with that in other countries and encourage action based on the examples of other nations.
Companies and private investors
Use the information on LandMark to better understand the land rights situation in a particular country, including where and how much land is held and used by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, such that they can respect their rights when they make investments and conduct business transactions locally.
Development assistance agencies
Use LandMark to better target their financial support and other resources by identifying countries and regions where Indigenous and local community lands are insecure and under threat.
Researchers and academia
Use the information on LandMark to investigate issues of relevance to Indigenous Peoples and local communities in local and national contexts and in global social and environmental matters.
Citizens and civil society groups
Concerned about the threats that Indigenous Peoples and local communities face and the risks of insecure tenure can use the platform to better understand the local and national land rights situation and engage with LandMark’s partners to take action.