Forest Landscape Restoration

Forest landscape restoration (FLR) is the ongoing process of regaining ecological functionality and enhancing human well-being across deforested or degraded forest landscapes. FLR is more than just planting trees – it is restoring a whole landscape to meet present and future needs and to offer multiple benefits and land uses over time.

With FLR, a diverse range of stakeholders are brought together to identify, negotiate and implement practices that restore an agreed balance of ecological, social and economic benefits of forests and trees within a broad range of land uses.

FLR manifests through different processes such as: new tree plantings, managed natural regeneration, agroforestry, or improved land management to accommodate a mosaic of land uses, including agriculture, protected wildlife reserves, managed plantations, riverside plantings and more.

According to a global assessment of restoration potential, there are more than two billion hectares of deforested and degraded land around the world where opportunities for some type of restoration intervention may be realised. Restoring forests and forest landscapes is an important step in regaining the health and functionality of these ecosystems.

 

Forest landscape restoration actively involves stakeholders at different levels (including vulnerable groups of women, dalits, and other traditionally marginalized communities in Nepalese society) in planning, decision-making and implementation. This includes government representatives, farmers’ associations, community forest users groups with stewardship/tenure rights and local communities.

Ecological, social and economic functions in a landscape are restored and ecosystem goods and services are produced, which several stakeholders benefit from. In the Chepang IP community forest villages of Raksirang ecological functions are being restored through regenerative agriculture and tree planting. Feed for the goats is cultivated in the valley so that ecologically valuable grass and fodder trees can grow again on the mountain slopes. Farmers earn income from the production of chiuri butter, forest honey, super food supplement, essential oils, high value medicinal plants under international certification protocol.

Forest and landscape restoration improves the conservation, recovery and sustainable management of forests and other ecosystems. The transformation or destruction of natural forests or other ecosystems must be avoided. In the case study in community forests in eastern Nepal, forests were restored in four phases according to the model forest concept. The measures aim at improving the living conditions of the population and reducing the pressure on the forest through human use. Diversified agroforestry with indigenous tree species contributes to this goal.

Forest landscape restoration uses approaches adapted to local social, cultural, economic and environmental values, and landscape history. In the case study in Chitwan district in central Nepal, the local population on the foothill of terai or bhitri madhes, has been involved in dairy farming for a long time. By increasing the efficiency and use of agroforestry systems, the farmers now generate surpluses that sustainably meet the high demand for milk. The area has become a new hub of dairy regeneration in Nepal.

Forest and landscape restoration not only takes place in isolated locations, but in and over entire landscapes. It combines mosaics of land use and management practices. At a landscape level, ecological, social and economic aspects (ecosystems / habitats or economic areas) can be taken into account and different requirements and expecta-tions for landscape use can be balanced. In the Panchase Forest Landscape in western Nepal case study, the landscape approach was implemented using Commonland’s 4 Returns approach. This approach combines nature conservation, moderate use and the economic use of land in one landscape. This takes into account the different interests of stakeholders and enables sustainable land use, resulting in four types of returns (inspirational, social, natural and sustainable financial returns).

We identified three common themes to successful restoration:

1. A clear motivation. Decision-makers, landowners, and/or citizens were inspired or motivated to restore forests and trees on landscapes.

2. Enabling conditions in place. These included ecological, market, policy, social, and institutional conditions.

3. Implementation capacity and resources. Capacity and resources were in place and mobilized to implement restoration on a sustained basis.

In order for bamboo to reach its potential for forest and landscape restoration, a number of key actions need to be conducted, such as:
• Mapping areas suitable for bamboo forest and landscape restoration
• Investing in developing sustainable supply chains of bamboo products; and
• Developing bamboo management standards to guarantee sustainable supply and production.

 

Short term: Train and educate local communities about the social, environmental and economic benefits of bamboo cultivation – Bring different local small producers together in a bamboo plantation program

• Medium Term: Creation of decent and permanent jobs for the cultivation, harvesting and transformation of bamboo for all members of the community – Expansion of the program to other communities and / or States – Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certification – VCS Standard validation for carbon credits sales

• Long Term: Complete restoration of soils and / or new commercial agroforestry activities

Leveraging Forest Landscape Restoration to accelerate Nature-Based Solution
Maintaining and restoring healthy forests, agricultural land and mountain and sub-mountain ecosystems as a set of solutions to address the interlinked challenges of climate change, environmental degradation and rural development.

Healthy nature is at the heart of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, we continue to degrade and lose nature at an alarming rate with devastating consequences for people and the planet.This is why realizing nature-based solutions – the conservation and restoration of forests, wetlands and grasslands as well as re-greening cities, urban systems and building nature-based markets – is so critical. Done the right way, nature-based solutions not only deliver biodiversity protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation, but they also offer effective routes to job creation and sustainable economic development.

To help the rapid scaling-up that is needed for nature-based solutions to reach their potential, MEFBA in collaboration with the FECOFUN has launched the platform to accelerate Nature-Based Solutions. focuses on nature-based solutions to global challenges and environmental governance, aimed at sustainable development and biodiversity conservation on the ground. Develop and promote nature-based solutions to local, regional and national development challenges, enhancing livelihoods and ecosystem services.

Relevant Fields of Expertise the MEFBA provides under Forest Landscape Restoration

• Management of natural resources, forestry/agriculture; nature conservation,
landscape management.
• Forest and/or Agricultural economics and business analysis.
• Business plan development.
• Project development and design; project monitoring and evaluation;
• Landscape ecology planning, regional development.
• Value-chain analysis.

We, along with the forest landscape dependent communities actively seek collaborative partnerships with climate warriors and impact investors from all over the world to join hands in mitigating the man-made ecological disaster.

Please contact us for more details about ongoing and proposed projects. Thank you.