Migration, Displacement, and De-urbanization in the Context of COVID-19

Join us for the Land Rights and COVID-19 webinar and discussion series, which is presented by Land Portal, Landesa, the Global Protection Cluster HLP AOR and GIZ, with organizing support from Environmental Peacebuilding Association, LANDac, New America and the UK's Department for International Development (DFID). The 3rd webinar in the series on Migration, Displacement, and De-urbanization in the Context of COVID-19 will take place on Thursday, May 28th, 2020.

The COVID crisis has millions of people on the move, and tens of thousands stranded far from their homes. Most notably, as economies shut down and lockdowns proliferate, de-urbanization has emerged as a serious challenge throughout the developing world. As people leave cities they are leaving properties behind, which creates a range of challenges, such as how to ensure their properties are not taken over by others, whether they be developers, government agents or squatters. 

Re-integrating this mass of people into rural communities presents another serious challenge and may lead to a rise in conflicts. What are the dispute resolution activities we should be thinking about today? Another emerging challenge is related to the question of remittances. People in rural areas, in LAC and also in Asia, for example, rely on remittances to build homes, maintain homes, and invest in local businesses. As levels of remittances drop, how can these investments be protected? Moreover, will this mass influx of people returning to rural areas be beneficial for food systems? What will be the impacts of de-urbanization and its impacts on access to land by youth. 

This webinar will explore the challenges and implications of these looming questions.