WRI Stories Feed: Governance & Access

Threats to Village Land in Tanzania: Implications for REDD+ Benefit- Sharing Arrangements

Peter Veit — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:28:02 -0500

This piece originally appeared in Lessons About Land Tenure, Forest Governance and REDD+: Case Studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America.¹ The full text of the article is available here.

Abstract

REDD+ presents an important opportunity for Tanzania to leverage its forest resources to bring in new capital flows, promote forest management and provide benefits to communities. With a legal framework designed to promote decentralization and more than a decade of experience with Participatory Forest Management, the country appears ready to capitalize on REDD+.

On closer examination, however, villagers face multiple obstacles in securing rights over land and realizing forest benefits. This paper examines five challenges—classification of General Land; recognition of Village Land; recognition of village government; transfer of Village Land to General or Reserved Land; and Participatory Forest Management procedures. Legal ambiguities and contradictions coupled with inconsistent implementation and governance structures pose unique threats to the success of REDD+ in Tanzania. With REDD+ infrastructure yet to be developed, however, opportunities exist for these challenges to be addressed. The current legal and institutional framework needs clarification and strengthening to make REDD+ a success for all Tanzanians.

Read the full article

Naughton-Treves, L. and C. Day. eds. 2012. Lessons about Land Tenure, Forest Governance and REDD+. Case Studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Madison, Wisconsin: UW-Madison Land Tenure Center. ↩

Stories to Watch in 2012: U.S., China, Food, Renewable Energy, Rio+20

Manish Bapna — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:05:29 -0500

What are the top environmental and development issues that will shape 2012? This morning, I presented the World Resources Institute’s 9th annual “Stories to Watch” at the National Press Club. While we can’t predict the future, here’s a rundown of…

Kyrgyzstan Makes Progress on Electricity Sector Reform

Davida Wood — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:09:30 -0500

This post was written with Sarah Lupberger, Project Coordinator with WRI’s Electricity Governance Initiative.

A year and a half has…

Q&A: The Legal Aspects of the Durban Platform Text

Jacob Werksman — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:54:37 -0500

At the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change (COP-17) in Durban – “the longest COP ever” – Parties agreed to establish an Ad Hoc Working Group on a Durban Platform for Enhanced…

Forests and REDD+ in COP17 Durban

Florence Daviet — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:37:59 -0500

With all its complex processes and acronyms, it’s easy to forget that the international climate change negotiations are supposed to lead to changes on the ground. There have been several developments this year, however, which should remind us of…

Climate Finance at COP17 Durban

Clifford Polycarp — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 09:46:19 -0500

From November 28 to December 9, negotiators will gather in Durban, South Africa, for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COP17 meeting. An outcome on climate finance – funds to support climate change mitigation and…

The Open Government Partnership: Will Brazil Promote Green Transparency?

Athena Ballesteros — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:51:40 -0400

This piece was written with Catarina Freitas, a Brazilian legal intern with WRI’s Institutions and Governance Program.

On September 20, eight governments will gather in New York to launch the…

Government Report on Deepwater Horizon Spill Fails to Recognize Its Own Responsibility

Alisa Zomer — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:15:33 -0400

An official report released by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement (BOEMRE, formerly MMS) and the Coast Guard puts BP, Transocean, and other contractors at…

What Do You Want From Rio+20?

Jacob Werksman — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 11:38:03 -0400

20 years after the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, “Rio+20” will review progress on and reaffirm a global commitment to the policies designed to foster economic growth that is both inclusive and respects…

SEC Regulations Could Bring Oil Revenue Transparency to Uganda

Alisa Zomer — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:07:24 -0400

Now twice delayed during the public comment and rule-drafting periods, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is due to release regulations for Section 1504 of the Wall Street Reform Act in late August. Recent developments in Uganda’s…