Linking Land Tenure Regularization and Forest Management in Honduras
The overall objective of this initiative is to support the GoH's efforts to regularise forest land tenure in the country by examining different arrangements of forest ownership and access/control rights and their implications for responsible use and equity.
The underlying intention is to avoid theoretical constructs, and instead focus on practical assistance to support forest tenure regularization in the field. The work will be based on a step-by-step approach. This approach is empowering because it allows field practitioners and researchers to concentrate on one set of problems at the time. In this way, the opportunities and challenges presented by the regularization process can be brought gradually and manageably into focus. However, since no one aspect can be dealt in isolation for long, the process will necessarily be also iterative, with revision of earlier outputs depending on outcomes in later phases of the work.
Based on initial discussions with different stakeholders, we are proposing to start with a preparatory Phase 1 (6-8 months) that will focus on five ‘first generation' questions or steps. Stakeholders have also suggested focusing the work on one or two priority areas for the ongoing forest tenure regularization effort, one option being the UEP of Agua Fría in the Department of Yoro. The research will combine meso-level analysis at the level of entire areas with more detailed micro-level analysis at the level of individual communities or forest areas and relevant stakeholders.
