This Tree Aid report examines whether global support for Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ land tenure and governance systems is reaching Africa’s drylands at the scale required for land and forest restoration. Drawing on donor funding data across 12 countries, the report finds that African dryland countries receive only a small share of global funding for IPLC tenure and governance, even though customary and community-based systems cover much of the region’s land area and are central to climate resilience, biodiversity, and livelihoods.
The report argues that the funding gap is not only a financing problem, but a governance problem. Weak tracking systems, limited direct funding to IPLC-led organizations, and an overreliance on funding channels that do not easily reach local institutions all reduce the visibility and effectiveness of support. It calls for increased targeted investment, more accessible and flexible funding mechanisms, stronger data transparency, and greater recognition of IPLC tenure and governance systems as a foundation for responsible restoration investment across Africa’s drylands.