Landscape Functions and People

Course Focus

The landscape approach seeks to link site-level actions at the farm or forest level to the broader landscape or ecosystem level. Building on the successes and failures of sector-based strategic planning approaches, landscapes-level planning provides a more robust cross-sector and integrated approach for tackling poverty all while ensuring environmental sustainability.

Why Landscape-Level Approaches?

As managers and planners concerned with natural resources, we need to adapt and develop our practices within the context of trends at broader scales such as decentralization and market development (e.g. tourism). No matter how successful Community (or site-based) planning approaches may be at the local level, lacking are coping strategies to deal with environmental and socioeconomic issues and opportunities beyond the community's immediate sphere of influence. This has highlighted the need for landscape-level approaches through which potentially conflicting resource functions can be addressed.

Similarly, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) calls on governments to implement an ecosystem approach to natural resource management that is underpinned by a set of guiding principles for best practices. These principles require coordination between sectors and decision making at different levels — including at the landscape level — and by different stakeholders implying a complex, multi-stakeholder process. The practical implementation of landscape approaches involves using iterative processes adapted for specific, local contexts. This will require new skills and planning tools that may differ significantly from our conventional practices.

Course Objectives

The course offers participants an opportunity to familiarize themselves with current practices for landscape-level approaches. It will provide opportunities to develop practical skills and experience in using principles and tools applicable for landscape-level planning, monitoring, and implementation.

The course will equip participants to:

• Understand the context, principles, and relevance of landscape approaches for natural resource governance in today's world;
• Understand how landscape-level planning processes can be developed and how they can be facilitated;
• Become familiar with a variety of tools for landscape-level strategic planning and gain experience in applying and adapting to these real-life situations; and
• Understand how landscape approaches can contribute to improved decision making, sustainable management, and monitoring of natural resources.

Training Methods

A variety of training approaches will be used. As with all of our courses, the style will be participatory and hands-on. Course facilitators will encourage "learning by doing." Participants are expected to bring their own material to the course, allowing them to share their experiences with others. A web-based learning platform supports participants in applying their individual action plans and learning in their work situations.

Course Program

The training program is spread over two weeks and includes three days of fieldwork in Thailand to gain practical experience and skills.

The main themes covered during the course will include:**

Concepts

• Principles and evolution of landscape-level planning from a systems perspective, with ample attention to the complexity and uncertainty of landscape-level processes
• Social learning principles for landscape-level approaches

Processes

• Design and facilitation of iterative landscape-level planning processes
• Defining and valuing landscape functions
• Multi-stakeholder concepts and processes
• Institutional analysis and institutional change
• Conflict analysis and transformation

Field Practice

• Opportunities to learn about, practice using, and adapt a range of tools and skills relevant for landscape-level approaches based on the principles of action learning

Implementation

• Decision-making and resource allocation in a multi-stakeholder setting
• Crafting institutional arrangements for effective implementation and good governance
• Monitoring for landscape-level impact

Partners

This course is jointly developed and implemented by RECOFTC – The Center for People and Forests, and the Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation.

Tuition and Fees

• The tuition fee is EUR 2,200 per participant. It covers all training expenses, course materials, and health insurance while in Thailand, as well as all costs incurred during the field visit (meals, accommodation, and transport).
• Please budget an extra USD 12 per day while in Thailand to cover meals and incidental fees.
• Accommodation is available in a private, air-conditioned room at RECOFTC's Bangkok facilities for an additional USD 180 per participant for the duration of the course.

Applications

The admission deadline for application directly to Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation is 7 October 2013. For additional information and to view the online application, please visit the Wageningen UR Centre for Development Innovation website.

*Applicants must apply by 1 May 2013 to qualify for funding assistance.

**RECOFTC and Wageningen reserve the right to change the program.

Back