Over the last few months” REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation) has quickly emerged as one of the most prominent mechanisms under consideration for climate change mitigation and global climate change policy. Governments and forest agencies in countries with high forest cover are taking note” and in turn the REDD concept is becoming a significant influence on forest policy.
In this December 2007 opinion article in the Jakarta Post” Avi Mahaningtyas and Chip Fay warn that REDD schemes alone will not adequately address the complexities of land ownership and forest use rights in Indonesia. Mahaningtyas and Fay write”
“Without a legally consistent and verifiable system of benefit flows” any kind of REDD scheme will fail. This will require the recognition of communities who have proprietary rights over the areas in question.
While the evolving legal and policy analysis continues to support the position of local peoples' rights over their natural resources” particularly land” the resistance from Jakarta remains formidable. This is where a significant change in government policy is required. It is legally consistent and appropriate for the government to devolve responsibility for land titling to the Land Administration Agency (BPN) and the protection of forest functions to the Ministry of Forestry.”
Read the full article in the Jakarta Post here.