Deforestation and forest degradation (D&D) in the tropics have continued unabated and are posing serious threats to forests and the livelihoods of those who depend on forests and forest resources. Smallholder farmers are often implicated in scientific literature and policy documents as important agents of D&D. However, there is scanty information on why smallholders exploit forests and what the key drivers are. We employed behavioral sciences approaches that capture contextual factors, attitudinal factors, and routine practices that shape decisions by smallholder farmers.

Ce rapport vise à donner des lignes directrices pour l'élaboration de cadres juridiques sur la foresterie communautaire. Il offre des recommandations et un cadre de réflexion pour l'ensemble des acteurs engagés dans la création, la mise en œuvre ou la révision des législations relatives à la foresterie communautaire, en particulier la société civile.

This report is intended to provide guidance to develop enabling legal frameworks governing community forestry. It offers recommendations and a framework for reflection for all actors engaged in creating, implementing or revising laws on community forestry, and for civil society in particular.

Drawing lessons from the design and implementation of community forestry laws in Nepal, the Philippines, and in Tanzania, this report revolves around the ten following building blocks to consider in order to develop supportive frameworks governing community forestry:

The Annual Country Reviews reflect upon current land issues in the Mekong Region, and has been produced for researchers, practitioners and policy advocates operating in the field. Specialists have been selected from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam to briefly answer the following two questions:

1. What are the most pressing issues involving land governance in your country?

2. What are the most important issues for the researcher on land?

Este documento es una síntesis de los resultados de la investigación aplicada "Titulación de las Comunidades Nativas – Avances y desafíos" en la región de Ucayali, que tuvo como objetivo analizar el proceso de titulación y su impacto en doce comunidades nativas de tres pueblos indígenas en las refiones de  San Martín y Ucayali. Con el uso de tres métodos de recolección de datos, el equipo recabó información de un total de 684 informantes en las comunidades seleccionadas.

This report on the state of industrial oil palm plantations in West and Central Africa shows how communities are turning the tide on a massive land grab in the region. Between 2000 and 2015 companies signed oil palm plantation concession agreements with African governments covering over 4.7 million hectares;mostly without the knowledge of the affected communities. These companies are now struggling. There has been a significant decline in the number and total area of land deals for industrial oil palm plantations over the past five years;from 4.7 to a little over 2.7 million hectares.

The certificate of customary ownership (CCO) is a land tenure reform implemented in customary tenure areas of Uganda;including Nwoya district in the north. Proponents of CCOs contend that they enhance tenure security for women and men;while critics argue that they fall short of expectations;disenfranchise;and at times extinguish rights to land. The objective of this analysis is to assess changes in tenure security that are attributable to CCOs by focusing on the completeness of the bundle of rights using the Conceptual Framework on Women’s Land Tenure Security.

A 16 minute documentary film developed by ESAFF Uganda detailing how small-scale farming communities in northern Uganda are using LSLBI tools to raise the awareness;especially of women;to engage with local leaders;produce resource maps;including scoping;negotiating;monitoring and implementation. The training also used drama. The aim is to empower farmers who engage with investors.

This report denounces human rights violations occurring in Socfin Group’s rubber plantations operation in Liberia.

The overall objective of the Guidelines for Impact Evaluation of Land Tenure and Governance Interventions is to inform and strengthen the design and implementation of future land tenure and governance interventions to best support lasting tenure security and achieve related impacts on poverty, food security, gender equality, environmental sustainability and security.

Using landscape moderation insurance and Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) as frameworks, this study assessed the response of local assemblage among different land use regimes (mean β-diversity), using the Jaccard dissimilarity matrix in contrasting Human Modified Forest Landscapes (HMFLs). The study was conducted at the relatively simplified Mafhela Forest Reserve and the complex Thathe Vondo Forest Reserve in South Africa. The patterns of overall β-diversity between HMFL and State-protected Indigenous Forests (SIF) were compared and the leading change drivers were then untangled.