This brief presents a review of 161 Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted on behalf of 188 countries3 for COP 21 to determine the extent to which Parties made clear commitments to strengthen or expand the tenure and natural resource management rights of IP/LCs as part of their climate change mitigation plans or associated adaptation actions.4 Of the 161 INDCs submitted, 131 are from countries with tropical and subtropical forests.

This is a working paper and the project is part of a larger research agenda which attempts to understand inequalities within groups that are recognised as disadvantaged by the Indian state. Specific focus is the set of groups labeled as Mahadalits by the Government of Bihar, who are a subset of the SCs in the state.

Author(s) is particularly interested in whether programs for Mahadalits suffer from the same problems as past attempts at equalising opportunity through affirmative action.

The report, prepared by the Indian Environment Law Offices, offers insights on mainstreaming Shifting Cultivation or Jhum through innovative interventions, such as Participatory Land Use Planning into policy, legal and institutional framework in Nagaland and help the state realize its full development potential.

The publication examines five biodiversity governance models that have helped conserve India’s natural landscape. It presents salient features of these models and explores their effectiveness in conserving biodiversity, providing community access to resources and sharing of benefits and institutional design.

This study analyses the approach of 'enclosing forests' implemented under the Project in Rajasthan which aimed at protecting and regenerating forests and securing long-term access of and benefits to local communities. Forest enclosures established in 13 villages of Udaipur and Baran districts and covering 1289 hectares of forest land represent a collaboration between local communities, the Forest

This report is based on the Land and Livestock Holdings Survey (LHS) conducted in the 70th round of NSS during January 2013 to December 2013. The survey was conducted only in the rural areas of the country. The survey covered 4529 FSUs. Some features described in this report are:

1. Household Characteristics
2. Household Ownership Holdings of Land
3. Household Operational Holdings of Land

Residents of mining areas testified at the Parliamentary High-Level panel on assessment of key legislation and acceleration of fundamental change about the acute disruptions caused in their lives and livelihoods by mining and their concerns are dealt with in several recommended amendments to legislation.

The pleas of thousands of rural people who made difficult journeys to attend public hearings across the country are largely ignored in the amended version of the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill set to be adopted by the National Assembly this week.

Parliament is processing, or is due to process, six bills that have particular significance for the rights of people living in SA’s former homelands. Three draft bills have also been published for comment. Among these are the Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Amendment Bill and the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Bill, which together echo and seek to entrench important aspects of the Bantu Authorities Act that shaped apartheid.

This draft law will have a massive impact on the lives of the 18 million people who live in South Africa’s former homelands. This LARC factsheet provides an overview of key implications for rural people.

This LARC factsheet highlights lack of requirements for community consultation, lack of sanction if a Traditional Council does not keep proper records and the inadequate controls on Traditional Council's prerorgative to enter into agreements and partnerships which can facilitate elite capture of mineral resource benefits 'for the benefit of communities'.

The Ingonyama Trust was the outcome of a deal between the National Party and the Inkatha Freedom Party during the dying days of apartheid just before the transition in 1994. The Trust was established to manage land owned by the government of KwaZulu, and is currently responsible for managing some 2.8 million hectares of land in KwaZulu-Natal. The land vests in the Ingonyama (or king) as trustee, to be administered on behalf of members of specific communities.