Tenure and Global Climate Change (TGCC) Quarterly Report, January – March 2016

The aim of the task order is to identify and test models that strengthen resource governance and property rights as they relate to successful climate change programming. Climate change impacts and interventions in response to climate change are significantly affecting resource tenure governance, the rights of communities and people, and their livelihoods. In turn, resource tenure and property rights issues may strengthen or undermine successful implementation of climate change-related initiatives. The task order consists of four tasks and contains a grants under contract (GUC) mechanism to support these task areas. Task 1 focuses on piloting tenure interventions that strengthen land rights as an enabling condition for the promotion and adoption of climate-smart land use practices through work in the Chipata District of Zambia's Eastern Province. Task 2 aims to clarify the legal and regulatory rights to benefits derived from environmental services under REDD+ and other Payment for Environmental Services (PES) incentives through resource tenure and REDD+ assessments, as well as targeted legal assistance to the development of a national land-use policy and associated laws in Burma. Task 3 involves undertaking research on tenure, property rights, and climate change mitigation and adaptation, initially focused on the devolution of ownership and governance of forests and marine resource tenure rights. This work has evolved to consider the tenure dimensions around reducing deforestation in commodity supply chains associated with the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 initiative. Task 4 aims to strengthen women's property rights under REDD+ through support to customary land mapping and planning pilot processes, with a focus on piloting recognition of community rights over land and resources in diverse agricultural/forest landscapes in Burma. TGCC is addressing these tasks by using a combination of intensive field implementation, local partnerships, field work, and case studies, literature reviews, participation in international communities of practice, and workshops and conferences. The quarterly report includes in-depth discussion of country interventions in Zambia and Burma, as well as task-specific updates for other TGCC efforts. Country work in Vietnam and pilot work with private sector companies are expected to be implemented in the upcoming two years. In Zambia, the Chipata District Land Alliance (CDLA) has been established to support land rights and climate-smart land use practices. The alliance has been working with local communities to develop a land-use plan and to establish a system for monitoring and evaluating land tenure and resource management. In Burma, the TGCC project has been working with the Government of Burma to develop a national land-use policy and associated laws, as well as to support the development of a system for monitoring and evaluating REDD+ and PES incentives. The TGCC project has also been conducting research on the devolution of ownership and governance of forests and marine resource tenure rights. This research has focused on the impact of devolution on forest condition and community benefits from climate change mitigation programming, as well as the impact of devolution on biodiversity conservation, sustainable fisheries management, and climate change adaptation. The research has also considered the tenure dimensions around reducing deforestation in commodity supply chains associated with the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 initiative. In addition to these efforts, the TGCC project has been working to strengthen women's property rights under REDD+ through support to customary land mapping and planning pilot processes. The project has been piloting recognition of community rights over land and resources in diverse agricultural/forest landscapes in Burma, while maintaining attention to the recognition of women's property rights. Further piloting is expected in Vietnam around coastal forests. The TGCC project has made significant progress in the first quarter of 2016, with a focus on field implementation in Zambia and Burma. The project has established partnerships with local communities and organizations, and has begun to implement tenure interventions and research activities. The project has also made progress in developing a national land-use policy and associated laws in Burma, as well as in supporting the development of a system for monitoring and evaluating REDD+ and PES incentives.