Sustainability

Beyond environmental conditions, it is the institutional setting that determines how landscapes are used. The institutional setting encompasses governance frameworks at multiple political levels including a multitude of public, private and societal actors. However, after years of recognizing the need for coordinated multilevel governance, we have failed. To move forward, we need to think about […]

I am Mmakgabo Confidance Mapotse. I was born and raised in the dusty, rural province of Limpopo in the Republic of South Africa. Currently, I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biotechnology and Botany at the University of Limpopo, and my university study, coupled with my enthusiasm to innovate, have sparked my interest […]

To mitigate risks of ecosystem service degradation in dryland landscapes, we need to ensure that tradeoffs are managed through informed land use, especially in high potential agricultural areas, such as the Guinea Savanna zone in Africa. The Guinea Savanna zone in Africa was described in a recent FAO/World Bank publication as the “sleeping giant” for commercial agriculture, with potential […]

The ultimate objective of a landscape approach is to support those that make a difference on the ground. This happens in many different ways, tailored to the specific needs and ambitions of each landscape. It would be wrong and inefficient to try and impose top-down or one-size-fits-all solutions. It would also undermine the definition I […]

My previous “why” question was all but rhetoric – everyone I have spoken with agrees that landscapes are hugely important, and also agrees that they are essential for human well-being at large as well as life on our planet. Asking “What are landscapes?” is more delicate and requires some thought as to where we are […]

Adding a gender perspective helps to better understand future challenges of small-scale and community-based forestry. This is one of the major conclusions of the IUFRO 2013 Conference on Future Directions of Small-scale and Community-based Forestry, Fukuoka, Japan. Read the full post here. Photo: Participants at Fukuoka Conference, by Kimihiko Hyakumura