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The guide presents a methodology to re-center international law around the social-ecological relationships of Indigenous peoples, local communities, and peasants. It critiques the fragmentary nature of state and international law, which often compartmentalizes resources and conflicts with customary law. To address this, the authors apply a 'Traditional Resource Rights' (TRR) approach to 'bundle' disparate legal provisions into categories of rights organized by a landscape-based logic. The document also provides international definitions for Indigenous peoples, local communities, and peasants, and discusses the distinction between 'hard' and 'soft' international law.

The report identifies that 76% of Sidhi district's land area (over 363,000 hectares) has potential for landscape restoration through eight specific tree-based interventions. These include assisted natural regeneration, agri-horti-forestry (wadi), and trees on boundaries. Implementation could generate 3.75 million person-days of wage employment, resulting in INR 710 million in income, and sequester 7 million metric tons of carbon over 10–20 years. However, significant barriers exist, including insecure land tenure, poor market access, and a lack of technical knowledge. The authors recommend establishing 'accelerators' in policy, knowledge, technology, and business to coordinate stakeholders and scale restoration efforts.

The document argues that Brazil's agricultural expansion has historically occurred at the expense of native ecosystems, specifically noting that nearly 65 million hectares of forests and savannas in the Legal Amazon were replaced by pastures and cropland since 1985. To shift away from this horizontal expansion, the authors suggest four interventions: designating undesignated public forests as protected areas to stop land grabbing; using the Brazilian Forest Code to facilitate payments for environmental services on private lands; investing in sustainable intensification technologies for medium and large properties; and providing technical assistance to small farmers to improve livelihoods and reduce deforestation pressure.

The report finds that despite the Mnangagwa administration's rhetoric of being 'open for business,' substantial foreign direct investment has not materialised due to a combination of bureaucratic red tape, policy inconsistency, and a lack of respect for property rights. While net FDI rose from US$247 million in 2017 to US$744 million in 2018, this remains far below the US$27 billion in deals signed by the president. The document highlights critical barriers including a 'dead asset' land tenure regime in agriculture, a lack of an independent central bank, and the pervasive influence of the military in the private sector. It concludes that the government's 'command and control' philosophy and the high-risk profile created by US sanctions and a history of bad debt continue to deter international investors.

The document argues that cattle productivity in Brazil is inversely related to the share of farmland devoted to pastures, meaning productivity increases as ranch size declines. It identifies land values as a key driver of this relationship, noting that higher land costs incentivize more intensive ranching or a switch to crop cultivation. The authors suggest that combating illegal deforestation, reducing agricultural modernization bottlenecks, and improving access to credit can drive cattle intensification and reduce pressure on forests.

The document analyzes the inverse correlation between the size of pasture areas and livestock productivity in Brazil. It argues that low productivity is driven by land-use inefficiencies and economic incentives, such as low land costs relative to capital. The authors suggest that combating illegal deforestation, reducing agricultural modernization bottlenecks, and improving credit access can incentivize the transition to more intensive livestock production or high-productivity agriculture, thereby reducing pressure on the Amazon and Cerrado biomes.

The report analyzes the intersection of gender and climate change adaptation in Benin, highlighting how patriarchal land tenure and social roles increase women's vulnerability. It identifies institutional gaps in the current NAP process and provides specific recommendations for gender-responsive adaptation in agriculture, water, health, and other priority sectors.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) investigates the drivers of disaster displacement, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, where the majority of such displacement occurs. SEI's work focuses on the vulnerabilities of poor populations, the impacts of both slow and rapid-onset risks, and the evaluation of displacement policies like planned relocations. Key projects include studying the effects of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, analyzing flood-induced mobility in Southeast Asia, and researching the specific challenges faced by people with disabilities during displacement. SEI also collaborates with international bodies such as the IOM and UNCCD to address the links between land degradation, desertification, and forced migration.

The report critiques the Land Value (Amendment) Act, 2019, specifically its failure to distinguish between community and private land during compulsory acquisition. It highlights the risks of undervaluing community land through a market-value approach, the removal of Free Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) for development-induced displacement, and the creation of a state-controlled Land Acquisition Tribunal. The author argues these provisions may be unconstitutional and recommends a separate valuation index for community lands and the restoration of FPIC.

The report analyzes the rise of an insurgency in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, attributing it to long-term government neglect, high youth unemployment, and social exclusion. It details the group's evolution from targeting security installations to committing atrocities against civilians, while criticizing the government's 'extrajudicial state of emergency' and human rights violations.

Friends of the Earth International asserts that the record-breaking fires in the Amazon, particularly in Brazil, are caused by agribusiness, mining, and logging interests supported by President Jair Bolsonaro's administration. The statement highlights a massive increase in fire detections and deforestation rates, attributing these trends to the dismantling of environmental protections and the suppression of indigenous land rights. It calls for international condemnation of these policies and criticizes the European Union for pursuing a trade agreement with MERCOSUR despite this environmental devastation.

The document is a guide for creating enabling legal frameworks for community forestry, emphasizing iterative and participatory reform processes. It provides a comprehensive set of questionnaires across ten thematic areas—including land tenure, allocation, governance, and market access—to ensure that laws protect the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples while promoting sustainable forest management.

The 2019 five-year assessment of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) concludes that the 2020 targets for halving tropical deforestation and restoring 150 million hectares of land are likely impossible to achieve. Tropical deforestation continues at an unsustainable pace, with a 44% increase in the loss of humid tropical primary forests compared to the 2002–2013 baseline. While Indonesia saw a reduction in deforestation in 2017–2018, Latin America remains the region with the highest annual tree cover loss. Forest restoration efforts have been slow, with only 18% of the 2020 goal realized as of April 2019, and most gains occurring outside of natural forests. The report highlights a critical lack of 'green' finance, noting that development finance for agriculture is 15 times higher than climate mitigation finance for forestry. It argues that systemic change is hindered by inadequate corporate commitments, slow governance improvements, and the continued prioritization of short-term commercial profits over long-term conservation.

The report analyzes perspectives from 84 NYDF endorsers, including governments, companies, NGOs, and indigenous peoples. It finds that while many individual actions have been taken, global deforestation has accelerated by 44% since 2014, and the world is not on track to meet its collective forest goals. The document identifies eight key lessons, emphasizing that high-level commitments must transition to measurable implementation supported by strong governance, secure land tenure for indigenous peoples, and a paradigm shift in forest finance to move from 'grey to green' investments.

The report evaluates the five-year progress of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), concluding that while localized successes exist, global efforts are not on track to meet 2020 and 2030 goals. It identifies eight core lessons, emphasizing that political will, strong governance, and secure land tenure for indigenous peoples are critical for success. The document highlights a significant gap between high-level commitments and ground-level implementation, noting that deforestation has accelerated by up to 44% since 2014. It calls for a paradigm shift in financing, moving from 'grey' to 'green' finance, and a stronger integration of nature-based solutions into national climate agendas.

The report evaluates the experiences of over 80 NYDF signatories, including governments, companies, NGOs, and indigenous peoples. It finds that while individual projects show success, global progress is insufficient, with tropical deforestation increasing by 44% since 2014. The document identifies eight key lessons, emphasizing that high-level political will, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and secure land tenure for indigenous peoples are critical for success. It highlights systemic failures in finance, where investments in deforestation drivers vastly outweigh those for forest protection, and calls for a paradigm shift toward 'nature-based solutions' and 'green finance' to meet climate and biodiversity goals after 2020.

The report finds that despite widespread commitments, global progress toward the NYDF goals is insufficient, with tropical deforestation increasing by 44% since 2014. Through consultations with 84 signatories, the document identifies eight key lessons, emphasizing that high-level political will, secure land tenure for indigenous peoples, and a shift from 'grey' to 'green' finance are critical for success. While some localized successes in REDD+ and sustainable supply chains are noted, systemic barriers—including corruption, lack of transparency in agricultural commodities, and the criminalization of forest defenders—continue to hinder large-scale implementation.

The 2019 assessment of Goal 10 finds that global progress in forest governance remains slow, with illegality continuing to drive deforestation. While some countries like Indonesia have improved policy efforts, others have weakened protections through legislative amendments. The report highlights a critical gap between formal laws and their implementation, particularly regarding the land rights of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), who manage significant carbon stores but face high levels of violence and criminalization. Demand-side measures in the EU and France are strengthening, but private sector commitments to eliminate deforestation are largely not on track for 2020 targets.

The report examines the drivers of basic-needs deforestation, such as subsistence farming and woodfuel collection, and evaluates interventions like formalization, clean cooking technology, and REDD+ funding. It highlights the difficulty of measuring progress due to data gaps and emphasizes that successful interventions require social safeguards and good governance to protect livelihoods while reducing forest loss.

The assessment finds that the world is not on track to meet the 2020 restoration goal, with only 18% of the target documented as restored since 2000. While political will is evident through Bonn Challenge pledges totaling 170.6 million hectares, actual biophysical progress is limited and difficult to quantify due to data gaps. A pilot study in the Mekong region reveals that most tree cover gain occurs outside of forests on croplands and shrublands, while natural forests in the region have seen a net loss. The report emphasizes that monoculture plantations, which make up 45% of planned commitments, provide significantly less carbon storage than natural forests. It highlights the need for coherent policies, multidisciplinary technical planning, and increased financial flows to scale up effective forest landscape restoration.