New Report: Focus on People to be Successful in FLR
Joint Media Release
International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), WWF,
Society for Ecological Restoration (SER), Université de Lausanne (UNIL)
(Vienna 17 June 2024) Forest landscape restoration (FLR) takes many forms and is a global priority to reverse forest loss and degradation. Humans are a central part of restoration and yet, human aspects are insufficiently included in forest restoration projects, as highlighted in a new report by IUFRO, WWF, SER and UNIL on the human dimensions of FLR.
"At their simplest, human dimensions of FLR are the activities that are necessary in the human system to enable restoration, such as negotiating long term objectives, resolving conflicts or carrying out multi-stakeholder consultations. But in addition, there are different underlying reasons that determine why people restore or indeed, destroy, forests. And there are many factors that influence why people might be more likely to support restoration or not", notes lead author, Dr. Stephanie Mansourian, external scientific collaborator with the University of Lausanne (UNIL). "Understanding and integrating these key human dimensions in the FLR process is critical to its success as demonstrated in this report."
The report brought together 11 social scientists and practitioners to explore why human dimensions are essential in FLR and other forms of restoration and how they can be better integrated into practice and policymaking. The authors also reviewed and summarized relevant guidance materials developed under other processes that can directly contribute to FLR.
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Download: Human Dimensions of Forest Landscape Restoration
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Janice Burns from IUFRO notes that "the aim is to improve the ways in which FLR considers human dimensions in all stages of its implementation and to significantly strengthen the role of social science in restoration."
"As we seek to accelerate FLR globally, the role of people and human considerations more generally, at every step of the FLR process is paramount", says Anita Diederichsen, WWF lead on forest landscape restoration and chair of the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (GPFLR).
Bethanie Walder, Executive Director, SER, emphasizes that "this is a valuable piece of the puzzle that contributes to ecosystem restoration more generally and aligns with our efforts to accelerate restoration globally as per the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework".
Going forward, it will be important for policymakers and practitioners to fully integrate human dimensions of FLR in their work and this report aims to support them in this process. The report will be presented at the XXVI IUFRO World Congress 2024 in Stockholm on 28 June 2024.
The results of this collaboration between IUFRO, WWF and SER is a contribution to the work of the Global Partnership on FLR (GPFLR) and marks an important milestone in the advancement of FLR.
Find out more: https://www.iufro.org/publications/joint-publications/article/2024/04/24/human-dimensions-of-forest-landscape-restoration/
Recommended citation: Mansourian, S., Derkyi, M., Djenontin, I., Elias, M., Oldekop, J., Pacheco, P., Burns, J., Diederichsen, A., Kleine, M., Vallauri, D., and Walder, B., 2024. Human Dimensions of Forest Landscape Restoration, IUFRO, Vienna, 76 pages.
Contact: Gerda Wolfrum, IUFRO, wolfrum(at)iufro.org / +43-1-877 01 51 - 17 https://www.iufro.org/
About IUFRO
About IUFRO The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) is a non-profit and non-governmental worldwide network of 15,000 forest scientists across 120 countries, who work together to enhance the understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and trees. Founded in 1892 IUFRO is headquartered in Vienna, Austria. The 26th IUFRO World Congress will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, in June this year. Visit: https://www.iufro.org/
About WWF
WWF is an independent conservation organization, with over 30 million followers and a global network active in nearly 100 countries. Our mission is to stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which people live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. Visit panda.org/news for the latest news and media resources; follow us on X @WWF
About the Society for Ecological Restoration
The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) advances the science, practice and policy of ecological restoration to sustain biodiversity, improve resilience in a changing climate, and re-establish an ecologically healthy relationship between nature and culture. An international non-profit organization with over 5,000 members and partners in more than 110 countries, we actively promote participatory, knowledge-based approaches to restoration. Learn more about our work at: www.ser.org
About University of Lausanne
The challenges raised by multiple societal transitions, the emergence of new knowledge and the occurrence of multiple crises, as well as new ways of disseminating and using knowledge, all call into question the role and organization of universities in our society. Against this background, UNIL's mission is to offer cutting-edge life choices and educational and career paths that are intellectually, socially and personally transformative. UNIL urges its entire community and alumni to use their knowledge to advance society. Visit: https://www.unil.ch
About Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration
The Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration is a proactive global network that supports all stakeholders to restore the world’s lost and degraded forests and their surrounding landscapes. The GPFLR was initiated in 2003 by a small consortium of like-minded organizations and Governments, spearheaded by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Visit: https://www.forestlandscaperestoration.org/
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