Local communities, smallholders and indigenous peoples play an essential role in the sustainable management of land and forests and, as such, in mitigating and adapting to climate change. They are the guardians of approximately one-third of the world’s forests and have customary rights over a large proportion of forest lands to be managed, conserved and/or restored.

Fragility has become the reality in several countries of the Middle East and North Africa. Armed conflict and forced displacement are taking an enormous toll on human lives, with the region accounting for about 60 percent of the estimated global total of battle-related casualties since the turn of the millennium. Conflicts and fragility have also had negative economic impacts, with countries directly affected by conflict such as Syria and Yemen losing as much as half of their pre-war GDP.

Land-use planning is increasingly being recognized as a central part of the formulation and implementation of strategies to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, contributing to both climate change mitigation and adaptation. Conflicting interests and competition over land and resources have been major driving forces of forest conversion, with increasing pressure due to population growth, degradation of lands, economic interests and, not least, the impact of climate change.