Day 1, Session 2: Tenure reform – Experiences and lessons from other countries Presentation by Francesca Romano, FAO

1. Global trends in forest tenure:
common issues and
way forward
Francesca Romano
Forest Policy Service, FAO
Yaoundé, 25-29 May 2009
http://www.fao.org/forestry/tenure/en/

2. Agenda
• Overview of the main results of FAO forest
tenure assessment in 4 regions
• Figures
• Main common issues
• Global Forest Resources Assessment: a
tool for forest tenure analysis
• Future efforts
• FAO plans
• Your inputs

3. *

4. Latin America
Public
Private
Central Asia
Community/Group ow ned
South and
Southeast Asia Ow ned by indigenous or tribal
people
Other types of ow nership
Africa
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

5. Strictly limited
Latin America User rights/ Customary
rights/Permits to hunt, gather dead
w ood and NWFP
Central Asia Communities
South and
Southeast Asia Privates
Africa
Other
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

6. Forest tenure reform
can have positive
impact on SFM and
poverty alleviation
(Viet Nam, Tanzania,
Mongolia)
but...
the forest sector is still very “static” and there
are no guidelines on how to secure and
diversify forest tenure

7. Is tenure an issue?
• Limited diversification and resistance to
change
• Limited data availability
• Contradicting/ not harmonized policies and
legislations
• Limited incentives to invest
• marginal resources and benefit sharing systems
• insecurity/ fragility of tenure rights
• high costs, limited returns

8. • little recognition of
traditional/customary tenure systems
• bad tenure governance
ineffective legislation
complex land policies and procedures
lack of capacities to implement reforms
weak institutions
information flow not adequate

9. • Tenure is not yet a priority in Countries’ agenda.
Necessary a formal endorsement, that recognizes also
forests
• Need for forest tenure reforms based on globally agreed
principles, mechanisms and fundamental requirements
The process is important

10. How to develop effective tenure
systems?
• Which specific
aspects should be
addressed?
• Which format?
• Which
complementary
tools/mechanisms?

11. Global Forest Resource assessment
• Principles:
– is based on country reports, data provided by
Gov./Ministries
– common terminology and definitions
• Strengths:
– Country commitment
– Forest tenure table is new and improved
– Periodical update (5 years)
• Weakness:
– Only official figures are provided
– Informal tenure systems are not included, nor
contested lands (with some exceptions, e.g.
Peru’)

12. Forest tenure assessment table
Forest area
FRA categories
1990 2000 2005
Public ownership
Private ownership
...of which owned by individuals
...of which owned by private business entities
and institutions
...of which owned by local communities
...of which owned by indigenous / tribal
communities
Other types of ownership

13. Public forest management categories
Forest area
FRA categories
1990 2000 2005
Public Administration
Individuals
Private corporations and
institutions
Communities
Other

14. Future efforts
• Guidelines for tenure
diversification
• Voluntary guidelines on
governance of tenure of
land and other natural
resources and other
• Capacity building
• Country projects in
support to tenure reforms
and data collection (e.g.
Nepal, Argentina, China)

15. ...“Not being able to fully exercise one's rights can be likened to
owning a vehicle without having a key”...

16. Additional slides

17. Public ownership structure in Europe Private ownership structure in Europe
according to % share in FOWL (11 countries) according to % share in FOWL (11 countries)
State ownership
14% Individuals / families
1%
13%
5%
Provincial
ownership Forest industries
85% Communal
Private institutions
Ownership 82%
Share [%] in area of forest and other wooded land in Europe
(23 countries, forest area only for Germany and Lithuania)
0.36%
49.55% Private ow nership
Public ow nership
50.09% Other ow nership