Community Forest Management and Conservation
We support Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and local communities to have secure rights, sustainable livelihoods, and strong governance structures
<<< Impact Areas
The Challenge
Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and local communities are vital to protecting the world’s forests and biodiversity. However, community forests and local conservation practices are increasingly under threat, which weakens their ability to sustainably manage their landscapes and undermines the traditional collective rights that communities have over their land and resources. By supporting and empowering communities to secure their rights and strengthen their governance and livelihoods, we contribute to the critical role of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and local communities in safeguarding the planet’s most valuable ecosystems.
Our Goal
By 2030, our goal is for community-managed forests and conservation initiatives in the landscapes where we work have secure rights, sustainable livelihoods, and strong governance structures.
Our Work
- Secure rights: We support communities in formalising and defending their land and forest rights while advocating for policies that recognise the rights of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and local communities.
- Sustainable livelihoods: We work to increase income from sustainable forest management and conservation and have increased access to sustainable financial opportunities.
- Strong Governance: We support communities in developing a clear vision for the future, supporting the creation of territorial plans, and ensuring that all community members can participate effectively and equitably.
Contact
To learn more about our initiatives or to collaborate with us, please contact Maartje de Graaf, Lead on Community Forest Management and Conservation at maartje.degraaf@tropenbos.org
News and blogsShow more
How can NGOs help communities to govern their forests?
Community forest management can contribute to local development, while playing an important role in the protection and restoration of the world’s forests — crucial to tackle the global biodiversity and climate crises. The success of community forest management is influenced by the functioning of community-level governance arrangements. What role can the NGOs play in supporting and strengthening community-level governance?
Community forestry and the role of NGOs in internal governance processes
In a recent article in Tropical Conservation Science, a group of authors from the TBI Network and RECOFTC argue that NGOs supporting community forestry can play a role in facilitating bottom-up governance processes. This requires long-term commitments. Moreover, it requires investments in the skills of NGO practitioners to facilitate highly complex and dynamic social processes.
Territorial rights and sustainable forest management — The Saamaka tribe in Suriname learns from Indigenous communities from Bolivia and Colombia
Leaders of Indigenous, Afro-descendent and peasant communities from Bolivia, Colombia and Suriname came together in August 2022 to share experiences with territorial governance and sustainable forest management. This resulted in a unique opportunity to learn and connect. For the Saamaka people from Suriname, it not only provided practical lessons but also inspiration to continue their struggle for land rights.
Gaan Kuutu: a meeting of community leaders from Bolivia, Colombia and Suriname
In August 2022, an unprecedented gathering occurred. This was the Gaan Kuutu, a regional exchange where 26 representatives from indigenous, tribal and peasant communities in South American had the opportunity to share first hand their experiences in how to best manage their lands.
Community forest tenure rights — ten conditions for success
The formalization of forest tenure rights of Indigenous people and local communities is expected to contribute to forest conservation, livelihood improvement and local self-determination. But formalization alone is not enough. More attention is needed for the conditions that must be in place for these expectations to materialize.
Community forestry: Who Benefits?
Community forestry has the potential to contribute to sustainable livelihoods for people living in and near forests. However, it is not uncommon that a large part of the benefits of collectively managed forests end up in the pockets of local elites. Civil society organizations (CSOs) therefore support communities to strengthen their internal governance processes and promote equitable benefit sharing. This raises complex questions, such as: Who decides what is fair? And how do new governance structures relate to customary decision making?
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VideosShow more
Community Forest Rights, Solano - Colombia
In Colombia, the government recognises the right of Indigenous groups to use and manage their forests in Indigenous territories, called 'resguardos'. In this video Indigenous people and peasants talk about their perceptions of the forest, and how they can learn from each other.
The village forest of Laman Satong: for money and more
After having received a village forest permit, the village of Laman Satong in West Kalimantan can earn money from its forest by selling carbon credits. However, the money should not be the prime motivation to protect the forest, according to one of the village’s customary elders.
Managing a village forest – a matter of commitment
In Indonesia, local communities can apply for a village forest permit, which gives them the right to use and manage forests that are located on state lands. In theory, this provides an incentive for sustainable forest management, which in turn generates income for the community. In practice, it is not always that easy. In this video Yohanes Dogol, the head of the village forest committee of Laman Satong in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, describes some of the challenges they are facing.
Women’s business — selling water from the forest
Laman Satong is a small village located on the foot of two forested hills in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The forests are formally owned by the government, but in 2011 the community successfully applied for a so-called village forest permit, giving them the legal right to sell forest products for a period of 35 years.
The village forest permit: Challenges and conditions for social forestry in Indonesia
In Indonesia, forest tenure has long been a source of conflict. About two thirds of the country's terrestrial area is classified as state-forest land, even though local people have been living there for many generations. When the government allocates these areas for production or conservation purposes, local people face the threat of losing access to their traditional territories. To resolve this, the Indonesian government launched an ambitious social forestry program in 2014, giving communities formal rights to use and manage forests that are located on state land. Significant progress has been made, but many challenges remain. This video introduces the program and highlights some of the conditions for success.
InterviewsShow more
Trust among traditional leaders is key for sustainable forest management - In conversation with Biza Akienboto
Indigenous, tribal and peasant communities from Bolivia, Colombia and Suriname recently exchanged their experiences with territorial governance. According to Biza Akienboto, member of the Saamaka tribe in Suriname, this will help them prepare for the formal recognition of their territorial rights.
Community-based monitoring and enforcement is key to conservation - In conversation with Marieke van der Zon
NGOs that support community-based forest conservation often focus on communities that have formal titles to their forest, as this is considered a main condition for success. According to Marieke van der Zon, PhD student at Wageningen University, the importance of having formal titles is overstated. Instead, she stresses that the key to conservation success lies in community-based monitoring and enforcement
Community forestry is central to Bolivia’s climate plans, but bottlenecks remain- In conversation with Humberto Gómez Cerveró
The Bolivian government sees community forestry as a way to achieve objectives related to both climate change and development. However, to truly unleash the potential of community forestry, the capacity of communities needs to be strengthened and the regulatory environment needs to be improved, says Humberto Gómez Cerveró.
Community forest land allocation can help to achieve climate objectives in Viet Nam - In conversation with Tran Nam Thang
In Viet Nam, large areas of forests are traditionally managed by ethnic minorities. Allocating forest lands to these communities can result in better forest management, contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation goals, says Tran Nam Thang of Tropenbos Viet Nam.
In the Philippines, community forestry can help the climate agenda, and vice versa - In conversation with Heidi Mendoza
The Filipino government can generate new momentum and resources for its longstanding community-based forest management programme, by placing it more centrally in its climate policies. This could benefit forest-dependent communities, but only if mistakes from the past are not repeated, argues Heidi Mendoza. It requires a better understanding of the conditions and constraints for community forestry.
The future of community forests in Suriname - In conversation with Rudi van Kanten
With a forest cover of 93%, Suriname is the most forested country on the globe. Its forests are home to five Indigenous Peoples, who have been living there since long before the country became occupied by Europeans. Next to the Indigenous Peoples, Suriname’s forests are populated by Maroon communities who mostly live along the rivers. They are descendants of enslaved Africans who fled the colonial Dutch plantations and established independent communities deep in the interior rainforests, where they could not be found. Today, there are a total of six Maroon tribes, spread over hundreds of villages, making up almost 14% of the population. Both the Indigenous and Maroon communities depend on the forest for their food, medicines and construction material. Also, they are increasingly involved in commercial timber extraction.