This collection of analyses spotlight cases and interviews with prominent women activists involved in natural resource management in Nepal, Indonesia, the Philippines and China to better understand the diverse challenges faced by Asian women in relation to limited rights and insecure tenure. Despite contextual differences, the studies identify a number of similarities and trends.

The Forests and Climate Change Programme (FORCLIME) is a collaborative project implemented by Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the forestry sector and improve the livelihoods of Indonesia’s poor rural communities. This policy brief discusses the manner in which the FORCLIME initiative is contributing to the development of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in Indonesia.

Drawing upon several sources of information and types of analysis, including literature reviews, field visits and rapid participatory assessments, this paper provides a critical assessment of land-related development policies and projects over the past two decades in Central America. Reflections on past land-related development policies and projects in Central America are based on their contributions to growth and poverty reduction.

This document details Vietnam’s progress in relation to Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) Readiness; it was submitted to the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), a World Bank programme that aims to assist developing countries with REDD+, during March 2012. It sets out a timeline of Vietnamese REDD+ Readiness; national REDD+ readiness management arrangements; stakeholder consultations and communication; REDD+ strategy preparation; the development of a reference scenario and monitoring, reporting and verification.

This policy brief outlines participatory carbon monitoring (PCM) pilots in Viet Nam. Developing countries undertaking REDD+ activities will need to provide evidence of “results-based action” in order to receive payments for the reduction of carbon emissions or the enhancement of terrestrial carbon stocks. The brief begins by outlining the context of PCM activities in Viet Nam and then goes onto describe the objectives of PCM. Testaments from PCM participants are provided and key steps of PCM are discussed.

Presents the baseline survey for a study of the impact of microfinance services offered by Alalay sa Kaunlaran sa Gitnang Luzon, Inc (ASKI). ASKI is a microfinance institution based in Cabanatuan City in the Philippines, and is a member of the BWTP Network.The baseline survey is the first step in a longitudinal process. There have been comparatively few studies in the Philippines of the impact of microfinance on poor clients.

What have we learned about land markets in South Asia about land reform, land fragmentation, sharecropping, security of tenure, farm size, land rights, transaction costs, bargaining power, policy distortions, and market imperfections (including those associated with gender)?Faruqee and Carey review the literature on land markets in South Asia to clarify what's known and to highlight unresolved issues. They report that: We have a good understanding of why sharecropping persists and why it can be superior to other standard agricultural contracts.

The Forests and Climate Change Programme (FORCLIME) is a collaborative initiative implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry. The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the forestry sector and improve the livelihoods of Indonesia’s poor rural communities. This report outlines the results of a gender analysis of Indonesia’s forestry sector undertaken to inform the design of a gender strategy for FORCLIME.

Conducted by the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation of the Government of Nepal, this study focus on identifying how forest ecosystems support enhancement of adaptive capacity of local communities. It analyzes win-win roles of forests for climate change mitigation and adaptation (using multi-criteria analysis) and the policy gaps in Nepal to bring forests in the forefront of climate change adaptation while enhancing mitigation performance. It also recommends a policy framework to integrate adaptation roles of forest to mitigation function (how REDD+ and NAPA go together).

This paper argues that REDD+ will not stop forest destruction developing countries and the underlying causes of deforestation remain untouched. The paper suggests that because REDD+ is embedded in the logic that environmental destruction in one location can be ‘compensated’ in another, it acts to reinforce the underlying drivers of deforestation and climate change. It also gives forest destroyers a way to legitimise their actions as environmentally ‘friendly’ or ‘carbon neutral’.

ASOCAM conducted the XII ASOCAM Latin American Seminar 2009 in the district of Yucay in Cusco, Peru on ‘How to promote adaptation to climate change on water management in rural areas?’ The seminar brought together 40 participants from 8 countries submitted their institutional experiences generated so far in development projects and initiatives related to the use and management of water in the rural Andes in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) have published this annual report on joint projects financed during 2011 on ecosystems and biodiversity preservation, green development strategies, and sustainable use of water and ocean resources, among other topics. The GEF financed and supported 323 UNDP projects in 2011.