Property rights are an important factor in natural resource management. Indeed, sustainable development is unlikely to ever be obtained in many locals if the property rights of indigenous and other local communities remain unrecognized by national and international laws. Terms and concepts concerning property rights, however, have deeply imbedded and different meanings for different people.
Legal recognition of property rights by governments should be understood to be an aspirational and optimal goal for many local communities that are or will be negotiating natural resources management agreements with governments.