Whichever REDD+ policies are chosen, REDD+ will affect the rights of those using the forest and forest resources or those holding permits to clear forest land for agricultural or other purposes.
A unique feature of REDD+ is that its implementation may entail newly defined rights, such as the right to exploit the benefits of reduced carbon emissions and carbon storage.
If these are associated with international payments through funds or carbon markets, complex questions arise about who should benefit. Existing natural resource laws, the effectiveness of legal systems, and the definition (or lack of definition) of rights to carbon in REDD+ will all have an influence. Given the complexities of land and forest tenure in many countries, the way in which carbon rights are interpreted has important implications for many different stakeholders involved in REDD+.
During 2010 and 2011 REDD-net examined the issue of carbon rights at the international and national levels. A range of resources are below, research reports, policy notes and country level case studies.
To read the latest opinion and articles from the REDD-net partnership on REDD+, visit our blog.
Image: John Hogg, World Bank
