Science Task Force Paper Spotlight: Key challenges for governing forest and landscape restoration across different contexts

The scientific article by Chazdon et al. (2021), “Key challenges for governing forest and landscape restoration across different contexts,” investigates the difficulties and complexities involved in the governance of forest and landscape restoration (FLR) efforts in various environments, discussing enabling factors that could help overcome those deficiencies.

The way restoration projects are managed has a big impact on who gets to make decisions and how involved different groups of people are in planning, carrying out, and benefiting from forest and landscape restoration (FLR). One of the main points made is that forest and landscape restoration is not just about planting trees but is strongly influenced by the way decisions are made and the involvement of people—from local communities to different levels of government. Right now, many government departments and organisations have very narrow goals, and these need to be better coordinated so that landscapes can be managed in ways that truly focus on the needs and abilities of local communities.

This special issue looks at the challenges and opportunities of managing FLR in different places and at different scales, especially across tropical and subtropical forests. The authors also identify that (1) poor alignment across government levels and sectors, (2) environmental and social heterogeneity, and (3) lack of enabling conditions and implementation capacity are among the main challenges. The paper emphasises that addressing these governance challenges is crucial for successful and lasting forest and landscape restoration. They highlight the importance of involving diverse stakeholders, building capacity, and ensuring long-term commitment to achieve the potential of FLR to benefit both nature and people.

Chazdon, R. L., S. J. Wilson, E. Brondizio, M. R. Guariguata, and J. Herbohn. 2021. Key challenges for governing forest and landscape restoration across different contexts. Land Use Policy 104:104854.

This blog is part of a series developed by UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration’s IUCN-led Science Task Force (STF). The blog series aims to highlight papers and resources relevant to the UN Decade and ecosystem restoration practitioners. Opinions expressed in these papers are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of IUCN or a consensus of its Member organisations.