We aim to achieve two outcomes: 1) The land and forest rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities are made more secure by governments in targeted developing countries; and 2) Practical approaches for implementing land and forest tenure reforms are shared and leveraged by practitioners and stakeholders to enable greater support and investment in securing the land rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.<\/p>\n
We aim to invest at least US$10 million a year for the first 10 years. Projections suggest that this investment would increase titled, protected, and well-managed community and indigenous tropical forest land by 42 to 91 million hectares. This increase in tenure security would help to prevent about 1 to 2.5 million hectares of deforestation, and mitigate climate change by avoiding emission of 0.5 to 1.3 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent.<\/p>\n
Already, with Tenure Facility support, Indigenous Peoples and local communities have advanced collective tenure security over more than 4.2 million hectares of land and forest<\/strong> and strengthened protection over 2.4 million hectares of forest<\/strong> categorized as a reserve for Indigenous Peoples living in voluntary isolation or initial contact. In addition, they have tested new approaches to securing community tenure rights with governments, demonstrated cost-effective methods for securing tenure at scale, and shown how securing tenure can reduce conflict\u2014setting the stage for peace and prosperity. The Tenure Facility\u2019s six pilot projects prove that with funding and technical support Indigenous Peoples\u2019 and local communities\u2019 organizations can achieve significant results in securing tenure rights in a short period of time. The pilots have also helped to shape the responsiveness and effectiveness of the Tenure Facility by generating valuable lessons for improving operations and services.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In Cameroon<\/strong><\/a>,\u00a0NGOs advanced land tenure security by developing and securing broad support for a standard methodology for participatory community mapping across different ecosystems and culture\u2014in 22 months. The methodology lays important groundwork for explicit recognition of community rights and reduction of land and resource conflicts in Cameroon as the country implements new land use planning. If scaled nationwide, the methodology could secure community rights over more than 5 million hectares within five years.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are many problems this approach can solve! The problems are there. We are working on this to forestall future problems and to avoid conflict. Thanks to all those who have made this dream come true. How do we carry this pilot forward? We must go all the way! This exercise is the salvation for many conflicts between administrations.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013 Chief Tanyi Robinson, National Council for Traditional Chiefs in Cameroon (CNCTC)<\/p>\n \u201cIndigenous People\u2019s rights and related regulations…being talked about and discussed in public places.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013 Rukka Sombolinggi, Secretary General, AMAN<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In Liberia<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>A coalition of NGOs and the national land agency tested and refined a practical and scalable guideline to enable local communities to self-identify\u2014in 21 months. Community self-identification is the first step in Liberia\u2019s new Land Rights Act and enables communities to gain collective title to their customary land. This project also built trust between NGOs and national government and enhanced the capacities of both for implementing the guideline nationwide. In 2019, Liberian partners upscaled the pilot with Tenure Facility support. They aim to secure 788,190 hectares of collective customary land under the Liberia Land Act using guidelines developed in the pilot.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile there have been some issues\u2026the trust, mutual understanding, and communication channels developed through the pilot project represent major assets for further developing the relationship with CSOs, and jointly move forward in the recognition of community customary lands.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013 Othello Brandy, Chair of the Liberian Land Authority<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In Mali<\/a>, <\/strong>the National Association of Peasant Organizations (CNOP) and HELVETAS MALI strengthened the capacity of 17 local land commissions to resolve conflict over land and resources in communities located far from the nation\u2019s capital \u2014 in 22 months. Participating village land commissions reduced conflict by 35% and participating municipalities by 25%. The pilot contributed to achievement of the 2017 Peace Accords by pioneering, testing and demonstrating scalable approaches and tools that rural municipalities and local communities can use to resolve conflicts among themselves and with government, investors, immigrants and settlers. The pilot set the stage for scaling the success of land commissions across the country. By supporting and learning from the experiences of land commissions in the south, where conflict is more localized, the learning was scaled to areas where conflict is more prevalent and widespread, particularly in the north. In 2019, the CNOP began upscaling these advances, with Tenure Facility support. This initiative aims to consolidate the capacity of the first 17 land commissions, establish and train 100 land commissions, secure 10,000 hectares of collective land, secure 5,000 hectares of family lands, resolve more than 100 conflicts, and establish three local natural resource management agreements.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Tenure Facility pilot in Mali is strengthening national reconciliation and peace. Commissions help to calm the country. The pilot started in accessible areas in southern Mali, with a level of security that allows for movement on the ground. Based on the experience gained in these areas, we plan to expand project activities in the more volatile and conflict-prone part of the country.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2013 C\u00e9lestin Demb\u00e9l\u00e9, Deputy program diretor, HELVETAS MALI<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
\nIn Indonesia<\/a>,\u00a0<\/strong>AMAN advanced titling over 1.5 million hectares of land belonging to 200 indigenous communities and achieved recognition of 230,000 hectares \u2014 in 24 months. AMAN\u2019s achievement in the pilot initiative set the stage for faster and more efficient recognition of Indigenous Peoples\u2019 rights to lands and forests by demonstrating how district legislation can fill policy gaps at the national level and build momentum for national tenure policy for Indigenous Peoples\u2019 territorial rights (adat), contributing to a bottom-up push for a national-level approach. Through peer-to-peer exchanges, they ignited a movement that is spreading from district to district as local authorities adopt the approach of using local legislation to secure Indigenous Peoples\u2019 land and forest rights. In 2018, AMAN joined forces with the Agrarian Renewal Consortium (KPA) and the Indigenous Territory Registration Body (BRWA) to scale up the advances. They are capitalizing on the current momentum in Indonesia for agrarian reform, social forestry, and recognition of indigenous rights. They aim to advance tenure security for indigenous and local communities over 2 million hectares of land and forest set the stage for upscaling land rights across Indonesia.<\/p>\n