Putting the pieces together: Integration for forest landscape restoration implementation

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The concept of forest landscape restoration (FLR) is being widely adopted around the globe by governmental, non-governmental agencies, and the private sector, all of whom see FLR as an approach that contributes to multiple global sustainability goals. Originally, FLR was designed with a clearly integrative dimension across sectors, stakeholders, space and time, and in particular across the natural and social sciences. Yet, in practice, this integration remains a challenge in many FLR efforts. Reflecting this lack of integration are the continued narrow sectoral and disciplinary approaches taken by forest restoration projects, often leading to marginalisation of the most vulnerable populations, including through land dispossessions. This article aims to assess what lessons can be learned from other associated fields of practice for FLR implementation. To do this, 35 scientists came together to review the key literature on these concepts to suggest relevant lessons and guidance for FLR. We explored the following large-scale land use frameworks or approaches: land sparing/land sharing, the landscape approach, agroecology, and socio-ecological systems. Also, to explore enabling conditions to promote integrated decision making, we reviewed the literature on understanding stakeholders and their motivations, tenure and property rights, polycentric governance, and integration of traditional and Western knowledge. We propose lessons and guidance for practitioners and policymakers on ways to improve integration in FLR planning and implementation. Our findings highlight the need for a change in decision-making processes for FLR, better understanding of stakeholder motivations and objectives for FLR, and balancing planning with flexibility to enhance social–ecological resilience.The Frank Jackson Foundatio

Cautious optimism over Norway-Indonesia REDD Pact

[Extract] In May 2010 President Yudhoyono of Indonesia signed a pact with the Norwegian government for a 2-year moratorium on new permits for conversion of peatlands and\ud natural forest to land uses such as industrial timber or\ud oil-palm plantations. Via this REDD (reducing emissions\ud from deforestation and forest degradation) scheme, Norway\ud will help build Indonesia’s capacity to monitor and\ud protect its forests, which are decreasing in area. If deforestation rates in Indonesia decline after 2 years, the\ud central government will receive up to US$1 billion from\ud Norway. Although this “Oslo Pact” is potentially a major\ud boost for forest conservation in Indonesia, we see several\ud reasons to temper our optimism, and we offer several recommendations to improve the pact’s effectiveness

Visualizing the future we want: reconciling art, environment and development

This chapter explores how visual arts can communicate shared views and help to reconcile different understandings of desirable futures. I review experiences of the use of art to build shared understanding of environmental problems amongst different actors or stakeholders. I focus on the “landscape” as the area of interest and define landscapes and seascapes as the geographic space in which environmental outcomes are best perceived by people. Building consensus on desired future situations is one of the greatest challenges in confronting our current environmental dilemmas. A shared vision of a future scenario can provide a common goal for everyone. Visual techniques have become ubiquitous during recent decades, and we have grown accustomed to visual representations on social media, television, billboards, marketing and PowerPoint presentations in the classroom and at big international events. In many areas of human endeavour, people are using animated videos and short films to present ideas. I review experiences from my own activities which range from mural painting to providing focus for debate at global environmental conferences to participatory drawing of future scenarios with local communities in environmentally sensitive areas

Putting the pieces together: Integration for forest landscape restoration implementation

© 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The concept of forest landscape restoration (FLR) is being widely adopted around the globe by governmental, non-governmental agencies, and the private sector, all of whom see FLR as an approach that contributes to multiple global sustainability goals. Originally, FLR was designed with a clearly integrative dimension across sectors, stakeholders, space and time, and in particular across the natural and social sciences. Yet, in practice, this integration remains a challenge in many FLR efforts. Reflecting this lack of integration are the continued narrow sectoral and disciplinary approaches taken by forest restoration projects, often leading to marginalisation of the most vulnerable populations, including through land dispossessions. This article aims to assess what lessons can be learned from other associated fields of practice for FLR implementation. To do this, 35 scientists came together to review the key literature on these concepts to suggest relevant lessons and guidance for FLR. We explored the following large-scale land use frameworks or approaches: land sparing/land sharing, the landscape approach, agroecology, and socio-ecological systems. Also, to explore enabling conditions to promote integrated decision making, we reviewed the literature on understanding stakeholders and their motivations, tenure and property rights, polycentric governance, and integration of traditional and Western knowledge. We propose lessons and guidance for practitioners and policymakers on ways to improve integration in FLR planning and implementation. Our findings highlight the need for a change in decision-making processes for FLR, better understanding of stakeholder motivations and objectives for FLR, and balancing planning with flexibility to enhance social–ecological resilience.The Frank Jackson Foundatio

An island in transition: governing conservation and development in Seram, Indonesia

Seram is Indonesia's 8th largest island. It is central to the historic spice islands, once a hotbed for international trade of profitable tree-products, primarily clove and nutmeg. Recent increased rates of social and ecological change, including costly conflicts, present Seram with new challenges and opportunities for conservation and development. Using place-based transdisciplinary research methods, we diagnose the problems emerging in Seram. Engaging with actors across multiple scales and sectors, we explore drivers of change, social-ecological impacts, and institutional arrangements that might achieve improved inclusive and sustainable development outcomes. Traditional and formal governance arrangements require harmonizing to optimize the benefits and costs from large-scale investments arriving in Seram. Organizations wishing to achieve positive impact can more strategically engage with the broad range of actors to harmonize divergent visions for the future and confront the reality of incoming investments and infrastructure