Supporting African Landscape Objectives Through Local Landscape Governance

Louise Buck, EcoAgriculture Partners and Cornell University

Introduction

As landscape approaches to pursuing food production, ecosystem service conservation and livelihood security in the same place gain favor,

challenges in governing these complex systems arise.

Photo: Neil Palmer, CIAT

Landscape Governance

Concerned with the institutional arrangements, decision-making processes,

policy instruments and underlying values by which

multiple actors pursue their interests in production,

conservation and livelihoods through multi-

functional landscapes (Kozar, et al., 2014)

Photo: Neil Palmer, CIAT

Landscape Governance Challenges

• Multi-level, multi-actor governance inhibits integrated landscape management

• Divergent values and interests makes decision-making complex

• Diverse views about where to locate what functions, rights to resources, and ways of making and enforcing rules can lead to conflict

• Power imbalances can lead to disempowerment of farmers and other local land users

Viable Landscape Governance Requires

• Knowledge of existing institutional infrastructure and knowledge resources

• Metrics for assessing multiple desired outcomes and trajectories for change

• Interconnected systems to link action and social capital formation at different scales

• Capacity to manage institutional complexity• Adaptive, collaborative management to learn

Photo: Penn State

Diverse Models of Landscape Governance Emerging

• LPFN review of 87 integrated landscape initiatives in 33 African countries reveals experimentation and innovation with multiple new forms and approaches

• Fully realized forms are not common• Insight for designing viable systems evident from

some documented experience

Landcare in South Africa• South African National Landcare Program,

governed by Land Use and Soil Management Directorate within Department of Agriculture

• Government-defined principles address governance that blends upper level policy processes with community feedback mechanisms

• Main funding from government’s poverty relief program, designed to generate employment

Photo Tobias Nawrath Photography

Landcare in Uganda

• Governance occurs at participatory, grassroots level enabled through district government

• Kapchorwa District Landcare Chapter operates as multi-stakeholder platform with shared vision

• District government and community sector strive to ensure representation and ownership through CBOs, religious leaders, private sector, youth, disabled, women’s groups, etc.

Photo: CCAFS

Northern Rangeland Trust in Kenya

• Mission to develop resilient community conservancies focusses on community-led decision-making

• Each conservancy has Board of Directors of democratically elected individuals and institutional members including donors

• Highest governing body is Council of Elders responsible for policy and by-laws

Photo: Dana Hoag, LCC CRSP

African Model Forest Network

Platforms are established to help overcome weak links among forest management units and mitigate conflicts among forest actors through frameworks of “good governance” (ref: guide to MF governance).

Model forests (MFs) are large, multi-functional landscapes governed by public-private-civic

partnerships that engage local and indigenous communities.

Lessons for Putting into Practice Viable Systems that Account for Multiple Actors,

Levels, Scales and Sectors

• Negotiating what and whose landscape

• Balancing power dynamics• Resolving governance options

and metrics for evaluation

Photo: CIMMYT

Negotiating What and Whose Landscape

• Recognize ecological as well as social, political, historical, and cultural determinants of boundaries and scales

• Invest in sustained leadership, and collaborative planning, adaptive management and decision-making to underpin dynamic governance systems that evolve over time with changes in socio-ecological systems

Balancing Power Dynamics• Address power imbalances by pursuing

equity in representation and benefit sharing through legal frameworks and “good governance” processes

• Design nested governance systems that span multiple levels, give local governments primary attention and build on customary arrangements

Photo: CIMMYT

Resolving Governance Options• Link knowledge systems through vertical

(hierarchical) and horizontal (sectoral) coordination frameworks and bridging organizations

• Provide lasting incentives through legal land and resource rights, access to markets, others

• Evaluate effects of policies on governance structures and processes to harmonize

Consensus Actions

• Develop innovation systems that foster social learning about landscapes and governance

• Invest in critical mass of agents with capacities for co-designing viable governance systems

Photo: CIMMYT

Consensus Actions (continued)• Develop curricula, guidelines and codes of

conduct in landscape governance to promote capacity development for landscape leaders.

• Develop a Pan African Platform that brings together networks focused on forest, grazing, wildlife and agricultural production to enrich innovation in landscape governance and expand successful approaches.

Springboards for Action• Support ILIs already organized in Africa to

document experience, promote dialogue and test innovations to further strengthen their governance systems.

• Use existing platforms of landscape initiatives in Africa to accelerate and expand learning and innovation (through African Model Forest Network, Landcare International, AWF supported Heartlands, others) and interlink with the LPFN knowledge-sharing networks.

Photo: CIMMYT

Springboards for Action (continued)• Incorporate landscape governance issues into

new CGIAR research programs in Africa and link to operational landscape initiatives

• Build a landscape governance focus into the expanding work of diverse partnerships and networks (eg; the NEPAD/TerrAfrica partnership, the African Landcare Network)

• Others…?

Further Springboards for Action

?

Photo: CIMMYT

Reference

• Kozar, R., L. Buck, E. Barrow, T. Sunderland, D. Catacutan, C. Planicka, A. Hart, L. Willemen. 2014. “Towards Viable Landscape Governance Systems: What works?” Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Working Paper. EcoAgriculture Partners: Washington, DC.

Today’s Process

• Introduction and Presentation (5, 10)• Panel Discussion (25)• Plenary Insights (15)• Action Group Formation (25)• Action Working Groups (60)• Report back to Session (30)