Land Ownership and Forest Restoration

Background

Reports have indiciated that the majority of forests worldwide are owned by governments yet are typically managed similar to an open-access regime. Moreover, the use of forests by various stakeholders have led to issues, typically regarding access and ownership. This paper examines the connection between ownership regimes and restoration. 

Goals & Methods

This section provides an overview of land tenure issues relating to forest restoration. It distinguishes four major types of property rights- private, state, common, and open access. They examine case studies in China, Ethopia, and Indonesia. 

conclusion & Takeaways

The section argues the type of forest ownership regimes are critical for forest restoration since forest provide goods and services to people and the ownership determines who has access and benefits from these goods and services. The authors conclude with a call for more research on the topic.