Stories Articles Blossoms of hope in turbulent times

2024-06-05

Blossoms of hope in turbulent times

By the end of 2023, the efforts of our partners led to the formal recognition of more than 2 million hectares of land and forest. The year also saw progress made on tenure security and governance across nearly 22 million hectares.

These numbers represent not just vast tracts of land but the people living in nearly 14,000 communities striving for secure tenure. In our 2023 annual report and its accompanying appendix you can read their stories, understand their challenges and celebrate their triumphs.

2023 report and appendix

“We are living in turbulent times, with an increasingly volatile climate,” our Executive Director Nonette Royo said. “But this report shows how Indigenous Peoples, local communities and others are protecting forests, fields, peat lands, and waterways despite these mounting pressures.”

In 2023, Tenure Facility allocated US$ 26 million to 32 projects across 18 countries – a doubling of both the number of projects funded and the amount distributed compared to 2022. This growth is a testament to the generosity of our donors and the efficacy of our partnerships.

As we move forward in 2024, we see great opportunities ahead. The seeds we have planted are starting to blossom, promising a future of continued progress and success. Despite the hurdles we face, our focus remains to support indigenous and local communities so they can thrive in their ancestral lands with full recognition of their right to own, manage and develop their territories.

Articles

23 September 2026

Indonesia

The land that feeds us, defines us

In February 2026, during Tenure Facility’s Asia Learning Exchange in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, a phone was passed across the table. On it was a short clip from a protest in East Nusa Tenggara. In the video, a woman climbs onto a bulldozer sent to clear land and homes. She bends down, picks up a handful of soil, and eats it. That woman is Maria Lensiana Ledu.

15 September 2026

Peru

A long-term public policy in Peru: The path towards the National Policy on Indigenous Peoples through 2040

The adoption of the National Policy on Indigenous and Native Peoples through 2040 in April 2026 represents a major milestone for Peru, particularly for the Amazon region, given the policy’s national, multisectoral, and legally binding nature and the prior consultation process conducted with Indigenous organisations.

24 August 2026

Cameroon

La terre sous leurs pieds : le cheminement des communautés Bagyeli vers la reconnaissance de leurs droits fonciers

Dans le département de l’Océan, au sud du Cameroun, les routes serpentent entre des forêts denses, de longues pistes de latérite rouge et des plantations industrielles qui semblent s’étendre un peu plus chaque année.

17 August 2026

Cameroon

The land beneath their feet: Bagyeli communities’ journey towards recognition and security of their land and forest rights

In the Ocean Department of southern Cameroon, roads wind through dense forests, long stretches of red laterite tracks, major development projects — including mining and agro-industry — and industrial plantations that seem to expand a little further each year, gradually reducing the living space available to communities.

04 August 2026

Blogs

Pourquoi les droits fonciers ne peuvent pas attendre la paix

Et si attendre la paix était l’un des plus grands obstacles à la sécurisation des droits fonciers ? Pendant des décennies, la gouvernance foncière a été largement considérée comme un élément de la reconstruction post-conflit. L’hypothèse était simple : le conflit prend fin, les institutions se redressent, les populations rentrent chez elles, et ce n’est qu’alors que les droits fonciers peuvent être rétablis. Dans de nombreuses régions du monde, cependant, cette séquence ne correspond pas à la réalité. Les conflits sont souvent prolongés, les institutions peuvent être affaiblies ou inexistantes, et les registres fonciers officiels ont parfois disparu. Pourtant, les communautés continuent de cultiver leurs terres, de gérer les forêts, de résoudre les différends et de défendre leurs territoires en s’appuyant sur les systèmes de gouvernance qui restent à leur disposition.

23 July 2026

Blogs

Why land rights can't wait for peace

What if waiting for peace is one of the biggest obstacles to securing land rights? For decades, land governance has largely been treated as part of post-conflict recovery. The assumption has been straightforward: conflict ends, institutions recover, people return home, and only then can land rights be restored. In many parts of the world, however, that sequence does not reflect reality. Conflict is often prolonged, institutions may be weakened or absent, and official land records may have disappeared. Yet communities continue farming, managing forests, resolving disputes, and defending their territories using the governance systems still available to them.