Tenure and social forestry in ASEAN Member States: Status, analysis and recommendations

Close to 140 million people in Southeast Asia depend on forests for their livelihoods. Across the region, communities are improving their lives and protecting the environment by managing the forests that surround them. Some are selling sustainably harvested timber, crabs, honey and coconut-shell charcoal. Others are attracting eco-tourists. This report will be invaluable for state and non-state parties who work with tenure issues as part of their work on social forestry. It provides an introduction and framework to customary and statutory tenure arrangements in ASEAN to help non-specialists understand and navigate their way around tenure issues. It identifies opportunities and challenges for customary and statutory arrangements that can help ensure people have secure tenure. And it offers conclusions and recommendations for potential ways forward, so social forestry can fulfill its promise in ASEAN Member States.