Held, Legally Recognized, Documented, and Not-Recognized Community Land Findings from 14 Countries

The briefing analyzes community land tenure in 14 countries, finding that while 57% of total national land in these countries is held by communities, levels of legal recognition and formal documentation vary significantly by nation. It highlights that 'not-recognized' land held under customary tenure is more vulnerable to seizure, and notes that while some countries like Tanzania and Kenya recognize all held community land, others like DRC and Cambodia have very low rates of legal recognition.

• Across the 14 research countries, community land is a significant form of landholding, with 57% of the total national land occupied or used by communities. This aligns with global estimates that 50 to 65 percent of the world's land is community land.
• The distribution of held community land varies widely by country. Australia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) both have more than 80% of their national land held by communities, and mainland Tanzania has 70%. Conversely, Paraguay has just over 3% of its land held by communities.
• Legal recognition of community land in the 14 studied countries is higher than global averages, with 63% of held community land and 36% of total national land being legally recognized. This is double the global estimate of 18% of the world's land being legally recognized, likely due to the inclusion of Brazil, Canada, Australia, and Mexico.
• Formal documentation of community land is prevalent in the research group, with 58% of total held community land and 92% of legally recognized community land possessing a formal title or certificate. However, documentation processes vary; for example, Zambia has no process for land to be documented.
• A substantial amount of community land remains 'not-recognized', meaning it is held only under customary tenure without legal recognition or documentation. This accounts for 37% of held community land and 21% of total national land in the research countries, making it more vulnerable to being taken from communities.
• Progress in securing land rights is highly inconsistent. Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, and the Philippines recognize all held community land under national laws. In contrast, Cambodia, Indonesia, and DRC have very low levels of legal recognition, with DRC having just one-tenth of 1 percent of held community land recognized.

APA

Forest Declaration Assessment (2019). Held, Legally Recognized, Documented, and Not-Recognized Community Land Findings from 14 Countries. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NYDFHeld-Legally-Recognized-Documented.pdf

Chicago

Forest Declaration Assessment. Held, Legally Recognized, Documented, and Not-Recognized Community Land Findings from 14 Countries. 2019. https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NYDFHeld-Legally-Recognized-Documented.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Forest Declaration Assessment |title=Held, Legally Recognized, Documented, and Not-Recognized Community Land Findings from 14 Countries |date=June 2019 |url=https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NYDFHeld-Legally-Recognized-Documented.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{forestdeclarationassessment2019held, author = {{Forest Declaration Assessment}}, title = {{Held, Legally Recognized, Documented, and Not-Recognized Community Land Findings from 14 Countries}}, institution = {Forest Declaration Assessment}, year = {2019}, month = jun, url = {https://forestdeclaration.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NYDFHeld-Legally-Recognized-Documented.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }