We draw on empirical results from three case studies of property rights change across forest and fisheries ecosystems in central Vietnam to investigate the circumstances under which collective property rights may make sense. A
generic property rights framework was used to examine the bundles of rights and associated rights holders in each case, and to assess these arrangements with regard to their contextual fit, legitimacy and enforceability. The cases illustrate the interactions between private and collective rights to lands and resources, and the

Humankind currently faces interconnected, worldwide challenges of feeding our rapidly growing population while simultaneously preserving our natural resource base, adapting to climate change, and creating or maintaining favourable living conditions for present and future generations. The world’s population is growing exponentially. It is expected to rise from seven to more than nine billion people in the next few decades.

What do opportunity costs mean in the context of REDD+ and what are the implications for local communities? Farmers intuitively know the importance of opportunity costs. To tackle deforestation in a socially equitable way, we must consider what the drivers of deforestation are and what incentives and livelihood opportunities accompany them.

Natural disaster management and agriculture tend to dominate discussions on climate change adaptation. But forests matter too. In fact, they matter a lot. Recent research is beginning to uncover just how much forest-based products and services contribute to the livelihoods of rural communities globally – now believed to be approximately one-fifth to one-quarter of household income. We need to begin paying more attention to how forests can increase the resilience of communities to impending climate change impacts.

This report suggests that a new and explicit goal of sustainable development to be agreed as a result of Rio+20 should be the reduction of the rate of land degradation to achieve land degradation neutrality, which we refer to as “Zero Net Land Degradation” or ZNLD.

Mặc dù có nhiều thay đổi tích cực trong khung chính sách về khai thác và lưu thông lâm sản, thực tế vẫn tồn tại nhiều rào cản cho việc hưởng lợi từ rừng của người dân. Để giúp người dân hưởng lợi và tham gia tích cực vào công tác quản lý bảo vệ rừng, Nhà nước cần tiếp tục đơn giản hóa chính sách khai thác và lưu thông lâm sản cho cộng đồng địa phương, chú ý tránh những chồng chéo trong chính sách, song song với việc cải cách thủ tục hành chính, nâng cao năng lực và xây dựng cơ chế hỗ trợ cho người dân.

This annual progress report highlights key achievements and lessons learned of the “Grassroots Capacity Building for REDD+” project in the Asia‐Pacific region, between August 2011 and July 2012.

This assessment builds on existing data and analysis from two prior publications: From Exclusion to Ownership, which was published by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) in 2008 and provided data for nine countries in Asia, and Tropical Forest Tenure Assessment – Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities, jointly published by RRI and the International Tropical Timber Organization in 2009 and 2011.

An international workshop on Forest and Land Tenure Reform was held in Vientiane on 28-29 August, 2012. The workshop was hosted by the National Assembly of Lao PDR, with support from RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests through the Rights and Resources Initiatives (RRI). The key objectives of the workshop were:

"The main argument for community forestry, in the context of climate change, is that it responds to multiple interests.  Forests, and in particular community forestry, represent a bundle of assets and benefits. They serve as a safety net in times of hardship and support critical ecosystems required for well-being.  The cases point out that while the contributions of community forestry to mitigation are well-recognized, in the case of adaptation, community forestry is equally well placed to support adaptive capacity, but this is not automatic." - Regan Suzuki

A national seminar on Gender, Forestry, and REDD+ was held on 27 July, 2012 at the Himawari Hotel in Phnom Penh. The seminar was initiated by Pact and organized in collaboration with WOCAN (Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resources) and the Center for People and Forests (RECOFTC). The purpose of the seminar was to draw attention to the issues of gender in the forestry sector, with a specific focus on community forestry and REDD+.