Thematic leaders

The thematic leaders of the Forest Conservation Programme’s thematic priorities;  Poverty, Governance, Rights and Tenure, Markets and Incentives and Forest Landscape Restoration, have worked to develop a team-focused approach that facilitates their ability to provide maximum support to Livelihoods and Landscapes. By working in collaboration with regional IUCN staff and partners, they have become fully integrated into the delivery of the Livelihoods and Landscapes Initiative. While mandated to focus mainly on the theme of their principle expertise, these professionals will maintain contact and communication in order to identify and make links across and between the various thematic areas, as well as the geographic landscapes.

Modelling

One of the features of Livelihoods and Landscapes is that modeling will be used in order to best gauge optimal scenarios for the future.  Modelling will be used in 6-8 Livelihoods and Landscapes sites, including the Congo Basin, Ghana and Uganda. West Papua are using simple participatory modeling techniques to help build shared understanding of landscape level processes and to explore scenarios. A contract is being prepared to engage CIFOR scientists to provide training and backstopping for modeling work in 2008 and beyond. For more information, see the “Modelling story” and the article from arborvitae 35, entitled “The Stella model – visualizing tradeoffs”.