What you'll learn

• Adopt a landscape lens when applying a rights-based approach
• Critically examine the role of securing rights of various stakeholders in complex governance processes
• Be able to identify, develop and support the institutional, technical and participatory mechanisms in securing rights for sustainable landscapes
• Assess your own role as facilitator in public-private collaboration at a landscape level
• Participate and present your course work at the Global Landscapes Forum

About this program

Rural landscapes around the world are increasingly integrated in global processes of trade, market development, resource exploitation and climate change. Resulting into landscapes becoming more multifunctional as well as fragmented with the necessary implications for public and private actors. Governance is no longer monopolised by governments but has increasingly become a shared responsibility of civil society groups and private sector actors. This creates opportunities for innovative governance arrangements but it can also affect the rights of local actors to contribute or benefit from sustainable practices.

Landscape governance has emerged as a crucial strategy for addressing multiple and often conflicting land use objectives. This integrated approach brings together various stakeholders and their interests and rights in the landscape, thereby facilitating the identification of synergies and trade-offs in the management of natural resources in the landscape. We follow the ten principles of a landscape approach and within this course focus on the principle of clarification of rights and responsibilities. These rights and responsibilities of different actors need to be clear and accepted for fair spatial decision-making to happen.

This course takes place in Ghana where we will learn from various experts who will share their experiences on securing rights in complex governance situations. During a 1-day fieldtrip we will visit the Atewa Forest landscape and explore the role of the landscape functions, its stakeholders and technical, institutional and participatory mechanisms involved in securing rights. Together with your fellow course participants you will work on cases where you will be guided from analysis to action planning. The course is interactive and hands-on and many participatory methods will be used such as discussions, field visit, expert input to stimulate dialogue, innovative thinking and group work.

GLF Regional Conference Accra 2019

This 7-day course includes a 5-day training and a 2-day participation in the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) regional conference taking place in Accra, Ghana on 29 – 30 October 2019. The GLF Accra 2019 will focus on Restoring Africa’s Landscapes: Catalyzing Action from above and below. At this GLF conference, you will gain insights from countries and key stakeholders on progress towards achieving local and global restoration targets. You will be exposed to the success stories of community-led restoration and the role of rights in forested landscape restoration initiatives, featuring issues surrounding tenure security, access to markets and value chains of cocoa, coffee, shea amongst other products in sustainable landscapes.

Target Audience

If you are a professional with at least 3 years of working experience in the fields of landscapes, natural resources management, climate change, forestry, agriculture, rural development, rural livelihoods, sustainable development, spatial planning, governance, and other related areas, you are warmly welcome. English proficiency is required.