New book arms people with knowledge on landscapes in a changing climate
Image from the new publication. Landscape as a gradient from rice fields to village, agroforest and remaining natural forest in North Sumatra; the drawing was developed jointly with villagers to emphasize conservation options other than eviction of villages and creating a national park.
As the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) launched a new book — designed to arm people with evidence and tools for designing climate smart landscapes—its lead editor underscored the fact that we are a long way from achieving sustainable, climate-smart landscapes across the globe.
Dr Peter Minang, the Global Coordinator of the ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins at ICRAF, said, however, that “structured interactions, co-investments and negotiations among concerned actors can nudge landscapes towards multifunctionality.”
The 404-page publication, launched at the Global Landscape Forum held alongside Lima COP 20, is titled ‘Climate-Smart Landscapes: Multifunctionality in Practice.’ Its 86 authors from 44 institutions contributed 27 peer-reviewed chapters around landscape approaches to climate change mitigation and adaptation. They specifically looked at the pathways, methods and tools needed to achieve sustainable multifunctional landscapes within the context of climate change.
Panelists at the launch had the following to say about the book:
“This book is a watershed moment for the landscape discourse. It balances analytical work on how to think about landscapes in a very sophisticated way.”
—Sara Scherr, President and CEO, EcoAgriculture Partners“One of the things I like about this book is that you do not get bogged down trying to define landscapes—it moves straight into the issues.”
—Robert Nasi, Director for the Forests and Environment Programme at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), and head of CGIAR consortium research programme, Forests, Trees and Agroforestry: Livelihoods, Landscapes and Governance.“Landscapes put people first. The book is a great tool for policy makers, and it has come at the right time, when UNEP has been tasked to develop a landscape approach in Uganda.”
—Tim Christophersen, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)“This book is practical, with case studies that clearly articulate the concept and implementation of the landscape approach. We will only achieve sustainable development if we work in an integrated manner.”
—Satya Tripathi, Director, United Nations Office for REDD+ Coordination in Indonesia (UNORCID)“Climate change is just one of the many drivers affecting landscapes. Yet when it changes, the landscapes are bound to change in a profound way.”
—Peter Minang.
Minang, Nasi, Scherr and Christophersen. Ravi Prabhu, ICRAF deputy director of research, facilitated the book launch. Photo: ICRAF/Daisy Ouya
For landscapes to move towards their full potential of multifunctionality to meet food needs and development aspirations while remaining environmentally robust, it is critical to fully involve all interested parties, and improve processes, analyses and decision making. Issues to do with landscape governance need to be addressed, too.
Sara Scherr of EcoAgriculture Partners noted that with the growing population, human needs continue to increase, needs can only be supported by landscapes. “This book is therefore going to be an invaluable tool for researchers, practitioners and policy makers,” she said.
“This work is in progress. We will be developing this even further,” Minang told the journalists and delegates who attended the launch event.
—
By Isaiah Esipisu, Elizabeth Kahurani and Daisy Ouya
—
How to build a business case for climate smart landscape approach to the private sector
Why climate change researchers are so excited about landscapes
Landscape approach: bridging the climate agenda with the Sustainable Development Goals
The landscape approach for meeting the climate challenge: Examples from Africa
The World Agroforestry Centre at the COP20: http://worldagroforestry.org/cop20
