Good Practices for Strengthening Land Rights Recognition in Forestlands of the East Asia and Pacific Region

This report contributes to sustainable recognition and formalization of all types of tenure (private, communal, and public) within forestlands by gathering emerging global knowledge and good practices on the topic. The aim is to guide decision-makers, practitioners, and other stakeholders working on the topic in the EAP region and elsewhere. The scope of the report is not limited to forests inside forestlands but also covers recognition and formalization of other land types located within forestlands, such as agricultural and residential lands. The report first provides a systematic review of counterfactual-based scientific literature measuring impacts of tenure interventions on forest cover to assess when and how formalization of rights can be used as a tool for forest conservation, and in what situations it may cause negative impacts on forest cover. It then lays out the EAP context around land rights recognition and governance in forestlands, with a focus on policies, institutions, and procedures. Finally, it identifies good practices used around the world to recognize, protect, and formalize land rights in forestlands