Indonesia has experienced two major forest and land fire events in the past five years. According to government data, the 2015 and 2019 fire episodes led to the burning of around 2.6 million hectares and 1.6 million hectares,1 respectively. The fires and the resulting haze in 2019 led to...

The purpose of this study is to understand the legal and policy constraints and opportunities in each of the 17-carbon fund (CF) countries affecting women's land and forest tenure. The study also explores women's ability to exercise land and forest rights in statutory and customary systems; how...

Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has a comparative advantage in natural capital, which has fueled economic growth averaging around 8 percent per annum since 2000. The natural resource endowment comprises half of the country's wealth. Although forest cover declined 3.6 percent between...

This country forest note (CFN) aims to foster dialogue between the World Bank, the government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ), and key development partners on future engagements in the forestry sector in Zambia by offering a comprehensive analysis of Zambia's forest sector while shedding light...

Myanmar's rich tropical forests have historically sustained a sizeable timber industry serving domestic and international markets. Rates of timber extraction rose significantly after 1990, peaking between 2010 and 2015, when controls over forests were weak. Much of the remaining forest estate in...

Natural capital in Lao PDR is a major source of wealth for the country and becomes even more strategic in times of economic stress. While forest products directly benefit vulnerable rural communities, ecosystem services from forests support key economic sectors such as energy, agriculture,...

Forests are an important economic and social resource, critical to the culture and livelihood of communities across Myanmar. Forest resources are key secondary income sources for more than half the rural population, and close to two-thirds of rural energy demands are met by traditional forest...

Liberia is one of the most forested countries in West Africa, with more than two thirds of its land surface covered by forest. The National Forest Inventory, conducted by the Liberia Forestry Development Authority in 2018 and 2019, estimates the forest cover in Liberia to be 6.69 million...

The forest tenure assessment tool (FTAT) and user guide consists of an integrated set of methodologies and guidelines for assessing both why it is important to secure community-based forest tenure in a specific national or sub-national context, and what needs to be done to strengthen forest...