This workshop examines how land tenure—customary and formal—shapes social relationships and biodiversity outcomes in mountain and upland regions. Despite its central role in sustaining ecosystems, tenure is often overlooked in biodiversity policy and practice. Drawing on cases from the Himalayas, Southeast Asia, the Sinai, East Africa, and the European Alps, we explore how secure rights support conservation, ecosystem regeneration, and sustainable livelihoods.

The session will highlight governance systems such as community forest management, collective water management, and incentive-based schemes reversing deforestation in South Asia; customary tribal tenure in arid mountain landscapes, where informal agreements underpin conservation in protected areas; and cadastral systems in the Alps, where historical boundaries shape biodiversity management. Perspectives from land systems research will connect these place-based cases, spanning different scales and timeframes, to broader debates on sustainability transitions. The workshop will also link these experiences to the international science-policy arena, examining how tenure security can be embedded in global frameworks and adaptation strategies.

Duration: 90 mins
Goals: (a) Show how secure land tenure enables biodiversity management; (b) Share cross-regional lessons from diverse upland contexts; (c) Co-develop strategies for integrating tenure into policy and practice.
Expected Outcomes: Participants will deepen understanding of tenure’s role in biodiversity, contribute to a synthesis brief with cross-regional insights, and co-create actionable recommendations for policy and program design. The workshop will also foster connections among researchers, community leaders, and policy actors for future collaboration.