Jamal Browne to address 2014 World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty

Local Land Surveyor and PhD Candidate at the University of the West Indies St Augustine Campus, Jamal Browne, is currently finalizing preparations for his participation in this year’s World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty, scheduled for March 24 – 27 at the bank’s headquarters in Washington DC.{{more}}

Browne is scheduled to deliver two presentations at this year’s conference, the first of which would be based on his doctoral research which follows the theme “Investigating Variations in Social Tenure Form as a Basis for Hazard Vulnerability Indexing.” According to Browne, this particular area of research has proven itself critical in light of the increased instances of natural disasters within the Eastern Caribbean, and the states’ mandate to better manage and administer limited local resources and international aid.

Browne, in outlining the context and relevance of the study upon which his presentation is based, stated:

“This study ultimately seeks to develop a systematic means of determining which specific forms of land tenure require the most urgent attention from local governmental authorities on the basis of the level of hazard vulnerability associated with each.”

He further added “Such a system is vital to small states such as those within the Eastern Caribbean, and is expected to influence future efforts at land policy development and ultimately land governance within the sub-region.”

Browne has also been invited to be one of four international speakers at the conference’s youth strategy session, which follows the theme: “Positioning Youth in the Post-2015 Land and Development Agenda,” and is expected to present on the topic “Ensuring the Collection of Youth Responsive, Disaggregated Data on Land.” This session would be led by officials from several key international agencies, including UNHABITAT, the Global Land Tool Network, and the International Federation of Surveyors.