A collaborative endeavor by nature, integrated landscape management depends upon striking a balance between multiple stakeholders and their various strengths and weaknesses in order to achieve the goal of effectively managing a multipurpose landscape. Abby Hart and Camilla Zanzanaini investigate the efficacy of institutionalized integrated landscape management in their post on CGIAR’s Agriculture and Ecosystems Blog.
In the long-term, in order to achieve a truly integrated landscape, what you want is a balance of institutional support and opportunities for flexibility and adaptation. But the word ‘institution’ doesn’t always inspire confidence. Many people think of an institution as being rigid and inflexible. Is it possible for institutions to provide enough structure to support actors and their actions, while granting the flexibility to respond to sudden changes and new challenges? What skills and techniques are needed to build resilience into a system and at what scales?
One example is the International Model Forest Network, which is aiming to do just that. The network builds strong teams of leaders who guide each Model Forest landscape with a set of principles rather than a strict program of activities such as a focus on large landscapes, a commitment to sustainability, participatory governance, knowledge sharing, capacity building, and networking.
Read the full post to discover how the International Model Forest Network has woven a network that supports participants while remaining flexible and adaptable-and how that relates to the tango!
Photo: Alexander Zabara
Comments are closed.