Securing Community Rights to Forests

Forests thrive when communities have the legal power to protect them. We support villages in securing land and forest rights through participatory land-use planning, establishing Village Land Forest Reserves (VLFRs), and acquiring Certificates of Customary Rights of Occupancy (CCROs). These legal tools give communities lasting control over natural resources and the authority to manage them sustainably. 

But legal rights don’t mean much if communities lack the knowledge and tools to maximize them, and platforms to amplify their work. We complement our legal work with capacity building and have trained more than 10,000 community members in governance, forest law, and sustainable forest practices. Through our network of CBOs, we support long-term stewardship rooted in local knowledge and decision-making. Our advocacy has ensured that these voices are not just heard at the village level, but also in national policy arenas. We have played a key role in shaping Tanzania’s first REDD+ benefit-sharing framework, the CBFM Action Plan, and the National Charcoal Strategy.