Forest Tenure Data
Latin America
Tenure Data: Latin America
RRI’s Tenure Tracking Data assesses global advances and setbacks regarding Indigenous Peoples’, Afro-descendant Peoples’, local communities’, and the women within these communities’ legally recognized rights to forests, land, and natural resources.

Explore data from Latin America.
Explore the available datasets:
Forest Tenure Data
Forest Tenure Data
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Land Area Data
Land Area Data
Water Tenure Data
Water Tenure Data
Explore forest tenure data for:
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Angola
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* Use the key below to see what data is available for each country in the dropdown.
Bundle of Rights & Women’s Rights to Community Forests
Forest Area Data
Change in Distribution of Forest Tenure in ... Countries in Latin America, 2002-2017

RRI’s Forest Tenure Database tracks the statutory distribution of Forest Tenure going back to 2002. Under RRI’s typology, all forest area in the countries studied are classified as either: (1) Government Administered; (2) Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and local communities; (3) Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and local communities; or (4) Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms. To read more about the methodology underpinning this classification, click here.

Bundle of Rights in Latin America

For 9 countries in Latin America, RRI maintains detailed qualitative data on the strength of Forest Tenure rights legally held by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and local communities. Learn more about RRI’s Bundle of Rights Methodology here.

Source: RRI. 2017. Depth of Rights Database.

Distribution of Forest Tenure by Country in Latin America, in Mha

Explore country-level data on the distribution of Forest Tenure over time in Mha. Click on the country name to learn more about the legal frameworks recognizing community-based tenure, including the rights of Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and community women.

Country

Government Administered

2002 2017

Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities

2002 2017

Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities

2002 2017

Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms

2002 2017
Country: Argentina
Government Administered
2002: 5.70
2017: n.d.
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: n.d.
2017: 0.87
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: -
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 22.20
2017: n.d.
Country: Belize
Government Administered
2002: n.d.
2017: n.d.
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: n.d.
2017: -
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: n.d.
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: n.d.
2017: n.d.
Country: Bolivia
Government Administered
2002: 41.43
2017: 28.03
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 1.58
2017: 0.47
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 16.61
2017: 24.71
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 0.48
2017: 1.55
Country: Brazil
Government Administered
2002: 341.02
2017: 238.39
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 10.68
2017: 40.41
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 75.27
2017: 118.05
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 94.29
2017: 99.89
Country: Chile
Government Administered
2002: n.d.
2017: 5.49
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: n.d.
2017: n.d.
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: n.d.
2017: 0.86
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: n.d.
2017: 11.32
Country: Colombia
Government Administered
2002: 38.00
2017: 26.38
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: -
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 24.50
2017: 32.93
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: -
2017: -
Country: Costa Rica
Government Administered
2002: 1.11
2017: 1.10
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: -
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 0.34
2017: 0.28
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 1.32
2017: 1.06
Country: Ecuador
Government Administered
2002: n.d.
2017: n.d.
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: 0.02
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: 1.27
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: n.d.
2017: n.d.
Country: Guatemala
Government Administered
2002: 1.85
2017: n.d.
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 0.53
2017: 0.40
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 0.29
2017: 1.20
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 1.53
2017: n.d.
Country: Guyana
Government Administered
2002: 16.62
2017: 13.17
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: 3.35
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: -
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 0.00
2017: 0.00
Country: Honduras
Government Administered
2002: 4.07
2017: 1.18
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: 0.60
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 0.00
2017: 1.79
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 1.36
2017: 1.80
Country: Mexico
Government Administered
2002: 2.75
2017: 3.65
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: -
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 44.00
2017: 45.47
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 8.30
2017: 16.92
Country: Panama
Government Administered
2002: 3.92
2017: 3.63
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: n.d.
2017: n.d.
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 0.90
2017: 0.90
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 0.04
2017: 0.08
Country: Peru
Government Administered
2002: 58.77
2017: 54.38
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 1.57
2017: 4.98
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 10.52
2017: 12.78
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 5.29
2017: 0.12
Country: Suriname
Government Administered
2002: 15.30
2017: 15.11
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: -
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: -
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 0.09
2017: 0.09
Country: Venezuela
Government Administered
2002: 49.15
2017: n.d.
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 0.00
2017: n.d.
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: -
2017: -
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: -
2017: -
Country: Subtotal, Complete Case LMICs in Latin America (9 countries)
Government Administered
2002: 519.07
2017: 381.40
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 13.84
2017: 49.81
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 171.24
2017: 236.01
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 111.13
2017: 121.43
Country: Total, Latin America (16 countries)
Government Administered
2002: 579.69
2017: 390.53
Designated for Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 14.38
2017: 51.10
Owned by Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant Peoples, and Local Communities
2002: 172.44
2017: 240.25
Privately Owned by Individuals and Firms
2002: 134.91
2017: 132.83

Highlighting in gray indicates Complete Case Countries.
Dashes (-) denote situations in which the tenure category in question is not legally possible under national law.
n.d. = No Data
Source: RRI. 2018. At a Crossroads: Trends in Recognition of Community-Based Forest Tenure from 2002-2017.

Women’s Rights to Community Forests in Latin America

RRI’s Gender Database builds on RRI’s Bundle of Rights methodology to assess the extent to which the same countries’ legal frameworks recognize Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and local community women’s specific rights to community forests, and whether or not those countries are meeting their obligations under national and international laws. Learn more about RRI’s Gender Methodology here.

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