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Namati Objects to WB ‘Turning Back Clock” on Land Rights
Namati has joined with a group of civil society organizations to object to proposed policy changes at the World Bank that will weaken protections for indigenous people when it funds development projects. According to reports, the proposed changes have “gutted” essential requirements that are necessary to prevent displacement, impoverishment, and environmental damage. The draft policies are up for discussion by the Bank’s board on July 30, ahead of public consultations.
“This draft effectively winds back the clock to the 1970s, before the Bank had binding policies in place to protect the poor and the environment. We see nothing more than a naked attempt by the Bank to shield itself from accountability for the destructive impacts of the mega-projects it is planning.” said Madhuresh Kumar, National Organizer of the National Alliance of People’s Movements in India.
The proposed policy changes contrast starkly with findings of
a new report from the global environmental research organisation, World Resources Institute, which argues that strengthening communities’ forest rights reduces emissions and deforestation, and so combats climate change.
The leaked report can be downloaded from
this link.
July 29, 2014 | Namati
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