Approach

Forest and landscape restoration (FLR) builds sustainable relationships between communities, government authorities, commercial interests and the damaged eco-systems on which they depend.

This approach can be described as: Bringing people together to identify, negotiate and implement practices that restore an agreed optimal balance of the ecological, social and economic benefits of forests and trees within a broader pattern of land uses.

Forest and landscape restoration is not a new idea. Many people in many different places are already implementing this approach. The name is not important. But the approach is.

Returning the landscape to its original state is not the only objective; there are many alternative strategies, each requiring the participation of all those with a stake in the forest. The goal with all of these approaches is to establish a forest landscape that can fulfil the needs of both people and the environment.

Forest and landscape restoration shifts the emphasis away from simply maximizing tree cover and delineation of sites on a map to forest functions and the configuration of a landscape.

FLR: the main principles

  • Promoting active engagement, negotiation and collaboration between all stakeholders
  • Restoring an agreed, balanced package of forest functions
  • Working across landscapes
  • Continuously learning and adapting

Priorities

The priorities of the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration are to:

Take a look at FLR images from around the globe.