23 October 2015: A research initiative on ‘Securing Tenure Rights for Forest-Dependent Communities: a Global Comparative Study of Design and Implementation of Tenure Reform,’ will be undertaken by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) of the CIGAR Consortium with technical support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), and funding from the European Commission, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and CIFOR.

The initiative aims to strengthen tenure security of forest-dependent communities, especially women and marginalized groups, through improved policies and implementation practices in target countries. Research will take place in Indonesia, Peru and Uganda, with a secondary focus on Ecuador, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nepal.

Global comparisons will enable scientists to analyze the successes and failures of policies intended to enhance secure tenure rights for forests and trees, and identify strategies that are likely to lead to future success. The initiative places focus on knowledge sharing and capacity building, aiming to improve the way knowledge about forest and land tenure reforms is understood, communicated and used, particularly for decision makers, practitioners and forest-dependent people in developing countries. [CIFOR Press Release] [CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry]