This study examines two major transitions in forest governance - decentralisation and state-sponsored (formal) community forestry - with respect to whether they are opening spaces for communities to contribute to sustainable forest management. The study consists of an introductory chapter and seven individual country studies - India, Nepal, Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam and China. It employs a critical, structured approach to separate the realities of decentralisation and community forestry from the ideologies that often accompany these movements and to allow for comparison of policies and impacts between countries.