ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews basic characteristics of forest governance related to forest tenure. It draws on three national case studies to illustrate how policy reforms that define tenure rights create co-management systems in which ownership, control and the ability to use forests are shared among multiple stakeholders. The chapter compares reform processes in Latin America and Africa to examine how property rights and forestry policy have shaped local forest governance. Property rights establish basic parameters for forest governance systems and, due to the characteristics of forests and the diverse interests competing to control them, communal arrangements have frequently been used to accommodate the needs of rural peoples. Because government agencies maintain some control over forest resources on the communal properties, forest governance falls under co-management systems in which powers and responsibilities are shared by government and the groups holding tenure rights. Such systems can potentially meet the needs of both stakeholders using forest resources and those of governments concerned with the control of forest use. However, these strategies must be more adaptive to work effectively.
