Protecting land offers numerous environmental benefits. Conserving land and open space can provide habitat for native plants and animals, and enhance ecosystem services.
Landowners can protect their land from development through a conservation easement or land donation.
An easement limits the type of development allowed on the property so that its existing character can be enjoyed by future generations. This can help landowners preserve properties that have importance to their families, such as a family farm or a rural home that has been in the family for generations.
Some examples of personally and culturally significant lands include those that are agricultural or forestalled, historic, roads or byways, recreational or scenic.
Public consultation is a formal process through which citizens and stakeholders give their feedback and views on policies, plans, proposals, laws and other options presented by the government.
Although public consultation typically involves citizens and stakeholders responding to something presented to them by the government, in the case of sustainable development goals (SDGs), it should also involve regular dialogue between decision-makers, citizens and other stakeholders on progress, challenges, gaps and next steps in implementing, monitoring and reviewing the SDGs.
There is a range of techniques and methods to consult constituencies and stakeholders, including face-to-face workshops, online platforms, written comments and focus groups on proposed policies or legislation.
Inclusive, regular and meaningful consultation between the national government and stakeholders in civil societies is essential for the implementation and accountability of SDGs.
Consultation provides opportunities for diverse voices to be heard on issues that matter to parties that are involved, allowing people to share their insight and knowledge as well as experience to advance SDG implementations.
It can offer new perspectives, information and ideas on implementing the SDGs that result in policies and services that are better designed, more practical and relevant as well as those that are more effectively delivered.
Consultation can also strengthen the legitimacy of decision-making, and build national ownership of the SDGs by enabling people to identify priorities and contribute to decision-making, thereby assuming greater ownership of solutions and responsibility for achieving the goals.
However, transparent consultation mechanisms subject to democratic pressure or public opinion can often play a more significant role in enforcing institutional agreements, especially in human rights, than any outside judicial authority.
Way forward
Leaders should ensure consultations are inclusive, and engage vulnerable and marginalised parties. Regional leadership should always urge government to make consultations inclusive and accessible to a wide variety of stakeholders, especially groups that are traditionally marginalised or excluded.
Consultations should use a range of inclusive and accessible approaches, including online and offline methods, allowing members of that specific area to participate remotely.
Secondly, promote transparency, and make information publicly available during and after consultation.
Government should make submissions and records of consultations on the SDGs publicly available and accessible so that residents and other stakeholders can track the influences that may shape policies and decisions on the SDG implementation and/or review processes.
Finally, publicise the outcome of consultations. Let those entrusted with responsibilities of consultation do so, and report back to parties involved on how their inputs were taken into consideration. Such reports should outline who attended the consultation, how it was conducted and documented, and decisions that were made.
*Sibuku Malumbano hails from Sibbinda constituency, Zambezi region.