Forest Rights Key to Climate Change Fight
Conditions are ripe for a global leap forward in recognising the land rights of indigenous people and forest communities, but investors and the public need to pressure governments to make it happen, an international network of forest policy groups says.
A rising number of politicians and businesses realise that if plans to exploit natural resources and expand agricultural production are to succeed, they must consider local peoples’ concerns and ensure they benefit too, the Rights and Resources Initiative says in a report released yesterday.
Key countries including Indonesia, Peru and Liberia, are poised to make legal reforms or roll out policies that will give communities greater security on their land.
Ben Sutherland