Assessment of forest governance in six Asian countries

Good forest governance is essential for sustainably and equitably managing forest landscapes and enabling Indigenous Peoples and local communities to thrive. It is characterized by accountability, equity, participation, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in the forest sector.

In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of forests for climate action and sustainable development. This has increased attention on improving forest governance, reflected in national commitments under global agreements on climate change, biodiversity, sustainable development and demands from international markets for sustainable forest products.

This report presents an assessment of stakeholder perceptions on the evolution of forest governance from 2018-2023 in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand and Viet Nam. Building on a previous 2017-2018 assessment in the Greater Mekong Subregion, the main objective was to identify priorities for strengthening governance to achieve equitable, sustainable development.

The assessment was based on interviews, surveys with 170 respondents, a literature review and a regional workshop. It examined forest governance through four lenses: institutional framework, rights, forest management and forest-risk commodities.