Forest Tenure and REDD+: Good Practice, Lessons Learned and Recommendations

Land and forest tenure systems greatly influence a country’s ability to reduce deforestation and forest degradation. Clear and secure tenure rights over forests are an enabling condition for REDD+ because they provide an incentive
for sustainable management and conservation of forests. Tenure rights holders tend to have a stronger interest in the long-term sustainability of forest resources. With secure tenure rights comes a sense of ownership and responsibility, as well as a belief that maintenance of this productive resource will provide consistent benefits for both current and future generations. For example, when tenure rights are perpetual and include the right to exclude outsiders and enforce rules, rights holders are more likely to invest time and resources in protecting and restoring forests through such activities as patrolling forests and combating encroachment and illegal harvesting.