In 2024, Cadasta took bold steps to advance land and resource rights for some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. By supporting Indigenous Peoples (IPs), Local Communities (LCs), Afro-Descendant Peoples (ADPs), and other rightsholders with innovative technology, impactful partnerships, and robust data solutions, Cadasta has worked to dismantle the barriers preventing secure land tenure. This year’s accomplishments reflect the organization’s steadfast commitment to creating pathways for economic growth, gender equity, and environmental resilience. From launching exciting new programs to expanding our global reach and strengthening its leadership team, Cadasta’s efforts have made remarkable strides in securing land and resource rights for communities around the world. Here are five highlights from the year: 

1. A Milestone Achievement: Over 30 Million Hectares Documented 

In 2024, Cadasta reached a milestone achievement of documenting 30,460,149 hectares of land across 52 countries. These hectares represent the land rights of over 7 million people, all of whom belong to historically marginalized and underserved communities. This accomplishment is not just a number—it is a testament to the power of partnership with leading organizations who are advancing land and resource rights in their communities. By providing the tools and data communities need to formalize and defend their land rights, Cadasta brings its vision of a world where land tenure supports equity, opportunity, and environmental stewardship closer to reality.

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2. Partnering with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to Secure Land and Forest Rights

Advancing land and climate rights is crucial to ensuring equitable and sustainable solutions to the global climate crisis. We recognize and support the pivotal role of secure land tenure for Indigenous Peoples, Afrodescendant Peoples, and Local Communities who are protecting vulnerable ecosystems and empowering communities.

In February 2023, we launched the Land for Climate and Forest Rights Program (L4C) with support from UK International Development from the UK government. This ambitious initiative aims to secure Indigenous and community land and forest rights across multiple countries, strengthening tenure security to address climate change and promote sustainable development. 

As part of this effort, Cadasta is providing direct grants, technology, and technical support to 13 partners across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, enabling local organizations to document territorial rights and strengthen their sustainable land and forest stewardship.

By the end of 2024, the L4C Program achieved significant milestones: 

• Communities Engaged: 2,359 communities are actively participating in the program. 
• Land Documented: 3,850,990 hectares of land were mapped and documented by our partners and their communities, highlighting their commitment to protecting and managing their territories. 
• Land Legally Recognized: 28,954 hectares of community land have been legally recognized, securing tenure rights and fostering sustainable land management. 
• Land Claims Submitted: 111,586 hectares of land claims have been submitted to governments to be formally recognized. 
• Individuals Documented: 401,624 Indigenous and local community members live in the documented territories, with 50.15% of them being women.

These milestones highlight the transformative work of our Indigenous and local community partners in implementing land rights initiatives in their communities. By securing their land and forest rights, our partners are protecting vulnerable ecosystems, reducing carbon emissions, and building resilience against climate change, ensuring the sustainability of some of the world’s most critical landscapes and ecosystems.  

3. Advancements in Women’s Land Rights

Women’s access to and control over land is a cornerstone of gender equality and community resilience, especially in regions where land serves as a critical resource for livelihoods and inheritance. With support from the Trimble and Rising Tide Foundations, Cadasta has made significant strides in advancing women’s land rights in Uganda through the Certificates of Customary Ownership (CCO) program. A key achievement was the inclusion of women’s names on 77% of the CCOs under the program, ensuring their participation in the registration process and granting them legal recognition of their land rights. Women reported greater perceived tenure security and protection against encroachment from extended families, especially in cases of widowhood or childlessness. Surveyed women also highlighted that CCOs provide enhanced security for their children’s inheritance and empower them to defend their land rights. 

These advancements, made possible by the support of the Trimble and Rising Tide Foundations and partnerships with the government and local organizations, have been instrumental in reducing gender disparities in land ownership, fostering resilience, and supporting more equitable land tenure security in Uganda.

4. Evaluating Our Impact for Growth

In 2024, we commissioned two independent evaluations to shed light on the challenges, progress, and impact of our work in securing land and forest rights in Uganda and India. These evaluations are critical to learning and improving our approaches and offer valuable insights into the processes and strategies that underpin successful land tenure programs. 

In India, Cadasta partnered with local organizations Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), Waatavaran, and ARCH-Vahini to document over 50,000 hectares of ancestral forest land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). This initiative positively impacted more than 200,000 forest-dwelling individuals. Participants reported that Cadasta’s Platform made the process more transparent and accessible, with 70% expressing high levels of trust in the mapping activities. The study underscored the importance of involving local communities and ensuring women’s participation to enhance inclusivity and build long-term trust. It also revealed how technology, when tailored to local needs, can bridge gaps in land documentation, supporting communities to secure their rights and improve their livelihoods. 

In Uganda, researchers assessed our work to document and formalize customary land tenure through the Certificate of Customary Ownership (CCO) program. In partnership with local organizations and the Uganda Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, the project has demarcated 12,357 parcels of land and issued 5,550 CCOs, benefiting 45,712 individuals, including 18,670 women. The evaluation highlighted how secure land tenure reduced land disputes, increased investments in land, and improved economic opportunities for certificate holders. The evaluation’s feedback emphasized the role of land documentation in not only protecting ownership but also fostering broader economic stability and community well-being. 

As we continue to support these efforts, the evaluation findings serve as a roadmap for learning and scaling impactful and inclusive land and forest rights initiatives worldwide.

5. Driving Impact Through Storytelling and Thought Leadership

A cornerstone of our efforts this year was storytelling—sharing the tangible impact of our partnerships and initiatives. From leveraging GIS technology to enhance land tenure security in Ghana to reflecting on global events like COP16 and Climate Week NYC, our blogs explored a diverse range of topics. A notable highlight was a StoryMap of a transformative five-year partnership with PRADAN in India. This collaboration has supported forest-dwelling communities in India to formalize their land claims under the Forest Rights Act, fostering greater equity and resilience. President and CEO Amy Coughenour Betancourt’s op-ed in Geospatial World, underscored the transformative potential of community-based mapping. In Philanthropy Impact Magazine, Cadasta’s role is highlighted as pivotal in advancing land tenure security to promote gender equality and climate resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Stanford Social Innovation Review, highlighted Cadasta as a key organization working with governments and communities to document land rights, addressing the widespread issue of undocumented rural land in low- and middle-income countries. Further coverage of our work was featured in additional articles, including prominent outlets like Mongabay, Nature News, and the Farmer’s Journal Africa. These articles highlight critical issues, such as community-led registration in Myanmar to land tenure’s role in African agricultural productivity.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As 2024 draws to a close, we look forward to the year ahead with renewed energy and purpose. We are deeply grateful to our partners, community leaders, and local representatives worldwide for your trust, collaboration, and dedication. To our donors and funders, none of this would be possible without your dedication and generosity. Your support fuels our work and helps us drive meaningful, lasting change. Thank you for being a part of this journey. 

In 2025, we will continue to tackle land tenure challenges by equipping communities, NGOs, and governments with accessible technology, comprehensive training, and secure data solutions—opening doors to economic growth, gender equity, climate resilience, and biodiversity protection.