Tenure and REDD+: Developing enabling tenure conditions for REDD+

The tenure of land, forests and other natural resources has crucial implications for REDD+ goals, planning and implementation processes. Tenure is a decisive factor in the identification of stakeholders whose rights, territories and livelihoods are affected by REDD+ activities. It is important to understand the multiple and complex tenure systems at play in forest areas because these are central to establishing who to reward for contributing to REDD+ and how. Tenure is the basis upon which to create effective benefit-sharing systems. The domestic laws and policies framing forest tenure systems also play a major part in the achievement of REDD+ goals: their provisions may result in either reduced or increased deforestation. While tenure-related risks will affect the implementation of REDD+, REDD+ activities may also reduce or exacerbate land conflicts by changing the value of forests.