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FORESTRY GOVERNANCE
Furthermore, the overwhelming majority of the world’s tropical forests are legally owned by governments, despite the long-standing and legitimate claims of indigenous peoples and local communities, who have only minimal legal authority over managing the forests where they live and on which they depend.22 Latin America has done the most to legally recognize community forest ownership and management, with about 32 per cent of the region’s forests under community and indigenous peoples’ ownership or designated use (figure 6.2). In Asia the figure is about 27 per cent. In Africa, however, nearly 98 per cent of forests are claimed by the state. Moreover, there is a high degree of uncertainty and contestation in each region over statutory and customary ownership rights to forest and forest resources. In most countries the ownership rights to carbon remain unclear, and the creation of a new asset class – forest carbon – is likely to engender even more contestation in the forest landscape. — Administered by government — Owned by communities and indigenous peoples — Designated for use by communities and indigenous peoples — Owned by individuals and firms Africa
Asia
Latin America
Global
Figure 6.2 Regional forest tenure distribution, 2008 Source: Rights and Resources Initiative, The End of the Hinterland, 2010.
Governance requirements: ensuring REDD+ promotes the rights and well-being of forest communities and indigenous peoples
Effectively reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and promoting enhanced carbon sequestration capacities in the world’s tropical forests, will require better forest governance and national institutional governance. The funding being touted by REDD+ proponents – US$3.5 billion was committed in
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