In defense of land rights: A monitoring report on land conflicts in six Asian countries 112 climate change, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Mining operations weaken the integrity of soil, leading to siltation and landslides. Causes and trends of land conflicts There were three main causes of land and resource conflicts identified: (1) resistance to agrarian reform; (2) overlapping claims; and (3) land investments. The table below provides a summary of the causes of conflict, descriptions of each, including the process involved and the impact on land and resource rights. Table 2: Analysis of land and resource conflicts Cause Resistance to agrarian reform ANGOC Overlapping claims Stakeholders DAR Landowner ARB/ARBO • Community vs Community • Government Agency vs Government Agency Description Process Agrarian Reform is mandated by the 1987 Constitution and launched as a program to institute social justice. It aims to redistribute productive agricultural land to tillers to provide secure tenure and livelihood to otherwise landless rural workers. There are also provisions for just compensation for landowners whose lands will be taken away. Coverage: landholding is covered under the CARP There are overlapping and conflicting laws and policies on land and natural resources in the Philippines. Different programs of government compete for the same parcels of land, resulting in overlapping claims and/or titles between different claimants/ landowners. Delineation: claimants lay boundaries of claims Acquisition and Distribution: DAR acquires land and transfers legal ownership to ARB/ ARBO Installation: ARB/ ARBO physically occupies landholding Mapping: claims are given to the government for conciliation Awarding/ Segregation: land is awarded to the owner or partitioned among claimants Impact on Land and Resource Rights The CARP aims to transfer ownership of land rights from landowners to ARBs/ ARBOs. When landowners resist coverage under the program, they prevent the transfer of ownership guaranteed by the Constitution and by law. Claimants compete for control over ownership or use of land and natural resources. Often, this ends in which of the claimants are more relentless in the expulsion of their opponent or in litigation, which claimant is registered.