Practical Framework for Regularization of Informal Settlement Policy, Legal, Institutional and Technological Innovation

Rapid urbanization, land scarcity, and socio-economic inequalities have resulted in the expansion of informal settlements and insecure land tenure in many cities. Conventional land administration and planning systems are often too slow, costly, and rigid to address informality on a scale. This learning session aims to train participants on strategic, fit-for-purpose principles and tested methodologies to guide context-specific, inclusive, and scalable approaches for informal land tenure and settlement regularization based on the learnings and tested experiences from Nepal. The training emphasizes policy coherence, legal innovation, institutional coordination, and appropriate use of technology, taking into consideration aspects on tenure security, land use planning, social equity, and environmental resilience. At the end of the session participants will gain understanding of: • Informality and land tenure insecurity and its impact • Incremental and flexible land regularization approaches • Legal and policy instruments that facilitate tenure security • Institutional roles, policy reforms and regularization through multi-level coordination • Fit-for-purpose land administration (FFP-LA), geospatial tools, and digital solutions Training Methodology and structure: • Expert presentations on policy reforms, the FFP-LA approaches and other practical land tools implementation in Nepal; • Tutorials on the application and use of pro-poor, gender responsive land tools and approaches in the context of land tenure regularization; • Dialogues and guided discussions on land tenure regularization, land banking, policy and legal implications, and other related themes. • Interactive sessions on strategic choices and trade-offs including question-and-answer segments; and, • Post training assessment using a customized follow up survey to gauge on effectiveness of the training and other subsequent iterations. Expected Outcomes • Enhanced understanding of practical, strategic and fit-for-purpose approaches to informal settlement regularization. • Increased understanding on the policy, legal, and institutional entry points in the context of land reform • Improved understanding on practical land tools, approaches, and the technology that can be applied and adopted to solve land administration and management challenges • Increased awareness on designing and implementing inclusive, scalable, and context-appropriate land regularization programs.