Globally, a billion people live more than two kilometers from an all-weather road, 685 million people are without electricity, and nearly 3 billion people lack internet access. In addition, 2.6 billion people don’t have access to safe drinking water and 3.5 billion people lack safely managed sanitation.

To close these huge gaps, we need better access to land. This will not only enable the construction of basic infrastructure like pipes, electricity lines, and roads, but in the process will also support countries and communities to enhance their climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

A World Bank-commissioned analysis of Paris Agreement climate action plans found that half of all climate actions are related to land, especially concentrated in rural and forest areas and on the fringes of expanding urban zones. These areas experience higher levels of land tenure insecurity and poverty compared to more established agricultural regions, settlements, and towns.

On top of that, at least 54 percent of the transition minerals needed to reach a net zero emissions economy can be found on or near Indigenous Peoples’ lands and territories. Yet, it’s estimated that at most half of Indigenous Peoples’ land rights are formally recognized, making it difficult to ensure that legitimate landholders are identified and included in investment planning and benefits.

Scaling up investments in land tenure and administration is therefore critical to both closing the global infrastructure gap and for equitably tackling climate change. That’s why the World Bank is expanding our land sector investments, including to secure the land rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, through our new Global Program on Land Tenure Security and Land Access for Climate Goals. Read further from the source