Time is right for global focus on forest land rights
18 September 2014 Last updated at 20:21 ET
Time is right for global focus on forest land rights
By Mark Kinver
Environment reporter, BBC News
Recognising the land rights of local people could provide cost-effective protection for many of the world's tropical forests, a report says. But existing initiatives to tackle deforestation were poorly suited to deal with the issue, it added.
However, there was an "unprecedented opportunity" to act as more nations were willing to acknowledge indigenous peoples' right to own and control land.
The report will be presented at the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.
The document, produced by the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) and the Indigenous Peoples' International Centre for Policy Research and Education, warned that growing pressure for land and resources was threatening the long-term future of communities that depended on tropical forests for their livelihoods.
More:
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-29254051
