Improving governance of forest tenure

Improving governance of forest tenure Synopsis

Forests help us breathe and they give us homes, food and energy. Moreover, human well-being and the health of our whole planet depend on whether and how we grow and look after forests. So ’forest governance' or who is allowed to decide what about forests and how is a matter of life and death for millions of people around the world and is profoundly relevant for us all. But decisions about forests and trees are often in the wrong hands or made badly. Much depends on ’tenure' on who owns and controls the forests and trees themselves. The owners may be those who need the forests and look after them well or those who degrade them with no regard for the well-being of others. In short, it is about power. This Practical Guide aims to inspire and arm those who want to try to improve things so that power is used well for forests; it describes how practical tools can be used to shape better governance of forest tenure. If you are a government policy-maker, or other public sector, private sector or civil society stakeholder concerned with forest governance and tenure reform, this guide is written with you primarily in mind. But we hope others may pick it up and find it useful, too. We are aiming for a broad readership, recognizing that people in different situations have different perspectives on the issues and need to take different approaches in addressing them.You may find this guide useful when you recognize that change is needed and you need help in achieving it. When decisions about forests are made by the wrong people, when decisions are bad, when the process is suspect or when good decisions are made but the capacity to do anything with them is feeble that is when this guide may be useful. Conversely, you may need help in finding the best way to respond to positive opportunities for reform of policies, laws and institutions.

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