Land Governance and Urban Development Under Political Instability Conditions in Palestine: Challenges and Potentials

Land is a crucial resource for production, significantly influencing living conditions at the international, regional, national, and local levels. In the context of political instability, such as in Palestine, it is essential to comprehend the conditions and mechanisms of land governance in order to promote urban development. Nonetheless, the connection between land governance functions and urban development remains obscure. This paper has two objectives: first, to identify the primary challenges confronting the land governance system in Palestine, and second, to investigate the system's effect on urban development. Primary and secondary data were collected and analyzed using qualitative research methodologies to achieve these objectives. The poor condition of land governance in Palestine has devastated urban development strategies, plans, and initiatives. Since 1967, Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory has posed a genuine and grave threat to the advancement of the land governance system and the accomplishment of sustainable urban development. In addition to external factors, such as political and geopolitical challenges, Palestine’s land governance encounters several internal flaws. These include different forms of land ownership, outdated land laws, an incomplete land registration procedure, and the absence of a comprehensive system with defined criteria for land valuation. There is also the issue of government actors’ mandates and responsibilities overlapping. In addition, the negative effects of landowners, the private sector, and informal community forces contribute to the internal obstacles facing the development of land governance in Palestine. This study recommends, based on its findings, that the Palestinian government prioritize internal challenges within the context of land governance while concurrently contemplating external factors. To improve the land sector in Palestine, it is essential to develop a flexible and robust strategy, which will require genuine political will. To accomplish this, the government must activate Law 6 of 2010, which instituted a Palestinian land national council. This council should identify the roles and responsibilities of various land governance stakeholders, develop a national strategy for land governance, and oversee all land governance processes, including the registration of all land, the amendment of Palestinian land and urban planning laws, and land use planning projects. The reform and development of sound land governance are necessary initial measures to effectively support sustainable urban development under the current conditions of political instability in Palestine. By addressing the challenges and developing a comprehensive strategy, the government can promote a future urban development framework that is more resilient and robust.