Community forest management can contribute to local development, while playing an important role in the protection and restoration of the world’s forests — crucial to tackle the global biodiversity and climate crises. The success of community forest management is influenced by the functioning of community-level governance arrangements. What role can the NGOs play in supporting and strengthening community-level governance?

In 2022, members of the Tropenbos International, together with RECOFTC, shared their insights about the role of NGOs in community forestry initiatives in a perspective paper in the journal Tropical Conservation Science. They now publish the findings of this paper in an interactive format, adding their own experiences and lessons in the form of short case studies.