A land use and tenure indicator to protect traditional knowledge

A compound land indicator – land use and land tenure – was first adopted in Decision XIII/28 and retained in the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, as well as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The Traditional Knowledge Indicator on Land Tenure and Use measures:

• Trends in land use change and land tenure in the traditional territories of indigenous and local communities

The land use and tenure indicator is also one of four traditional knowledge (TK) indicators, together with trends in traditional occupations, trends in linguistic diversity, and trends related to the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the implementation of the Framework.

The secure land tenure of Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and local communities (LCs) represents a fundamental enabling condition that underlies our ability to achieve a number of the Goals and Targets outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

Land use on Indigenous Peoples and local communities' lands and territories, likewise, is closely tied to the security of land tenure for these populations, with a number of favourable outcomes linked to the KMGBF.

Land use and tenure data is specifically relevant to existing headline indicators, as well as several Goals and Targets, including Goals A&B, and Targets 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 22 and 23. It provides potential for disaggregation for Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ tenure against several headline indicators and contributes to the realisation of Section C, which recognises the central contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ to implementing the Framework while ensuring a whole-of-society approach to biodiversity monitoring.

The land use and tenure indicator provides relevant data on land tenure, land use, land use change, spatial planning, links to carbon sequestration, key biodiversity areas and global ecosystem types, while disaggregating for gender, age and disability where applicable. Inclusion of the indicator provides opportunity for cross monitoring and analysis, contributing to a better understanding of links across Targets and Goals.

A technical working group has formed to advance development and operationalisation of the Traditional Knowledge land indicator.

Wherever possible, elements of the indicator drew from existing SDG methodologies and considered available data from diverse sources.

For both land tenure and land use, a stage-based approach to data development has been proposed. This allows parties to report numerical data from national datasets while more precise, georeferenced, community-level data is gathered to better capture local realities.

Each of the elements listed above will follow a similar phase-based approach to data collection, starting with numerical and secondary sources that may rely on a wider sample or scope than the ideal phase for each element.

Stage 0: Relies on global datasets, reported numerical data, national samples*

Stage 1: Uses key informants or FGD at the national level, with IP and LC representatives

Stage 2: Uses key informants or FGD with nationally-representative samplee of IP and LC leaders

Stage 3: Indicative or preliminary maps accompany numerical data; FGD with a convenience sample of IP and LC community members

Stage 4: Precise, geo-referenced maps; interviews with probability-based sample of IP and LC community members

*Not all phases apply to all elements of the indicator

The indicator is built to accommodate data from diverse sources, including from administrative data, independent monitoring initiatives, as well as Community Based Monitoring and Information Systems (CBMIS). Primary data sources for each component are listed below.

For land tenure on Indigenous Peoples and local communities' lands and territories

• Administrative Data
• LandMark
• ICCA Registry
• FAO Global Land Observatory (download below)
• Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI)
• Indigenous Navigator
• Prindex
• LANDex
• CBMIS

For land use on Indigenous Peoples and local communities' land and territories

• Administrative Data
• LandMark
• FAO Forest Resource Assessment (FRA)
• Global Forest Watch
• Landsat Legacy – USGS
• MODIS
• Copernicus Global Land Service

For Stages 0-1, data is currently available for the following number of countries:

Land tenure, considered as the presence of documentation and perceived tenure security:

• Documentation on Indigenous Peoples and local communities' lands and territories – 130 countries
• Perception of Tenure Security – 140 countries

Land use, defined as forest area and natural lands in Indigenous Peoples and local communities' lands and territories:

• Forest area – 195 countries (global)
• Natural land – 195 countries (global)

Additional data is available for stages 2-4, but with limited coverage. In coming years, data collection for more advanced stages will be coordinated by the technical working group.

Organisations and data collectors that have been contributing to the technical working group on the land use and change indicator are the International Land Coalition (ILC), the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Prindex, LandMark, Indigenous Navigator, Forest Peoples Program, UN-Habitat and RRI, among others.

If the indicator is retained within the KMGBF, FAO is a probable custodian of the indicator, which would contribute directly to global land monitoring done through the Global Land Observatory.