Recognizing Indigenous and Community Rights

This brief calculates the cost of securing Indigenous Peoples’ and community rights to the tropical forests where they live, noting that secure land tenure is a prerequisite for the success of climate, poverty reduction and ecosystem conservation initiatives.

Securing Rights, Combating Climate Change

An analysis of the growing body of evidence linking community forest rights with healthier forests and lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.

What Future for Reform?

While governments are increasingly recognizing local ownership and control of forests, forest tenure arrangements remain in dispute or unclear in many places, including low, middle, and high income countries.

Lots of Words, Little Action

While there were many encouraging pronouncements in 2013—from courts, governments, and some of the world’s largest corporations —unfortunately, progress for community land rights on the ground remains very limited.