A foundational principle of community-based natural resource management is that communities have rights to natural resources. In Angola, the overall lack of recognition of community rights over land and resources has limited local communities’ capacity to manage and benefit from these resources. However, current Angolan legislation includes provisions that enable the use and management of natural resources by creating cooperatives.

By taking advantage of this legal framework, ACADIR supports communities to organize themselves into representative institutions to access rights over resources. These institutions represent and are accountable to their members and are responsible for making decisions about resource use. They act as vehicles through which communities can access funding, including government support. Forums are platforms cooperatives from neighboring villages use to share information and make decisions that affect the overall development and well-being of the represented communities. Through the use of forums, cooperatives can coordinate efforts and share best practices.