Scale-sensitive governance in forest and landscape restoration: a systematic review

Abstract

Building on different bodies of the governance literature, we propose a conceptual framework specifying nine scale-sensitive governance arrangements that aim to (1) create cross-scale fit between the governance and ecological scales, and/or (2) foster cross-level alignment between different governance levels. To understand how scale-sensitive governance has played out in practice, our systematic review builds on 84 peer-reviewed empirical journal articles, which represent 84 cases of forest and landscape restoration governance. In the case studies, we identified eight out of nine scale-sensitive governance arrangements: moving tasks to other governance levels; task-specific organisations; polycentric governance; multilevel coordination; multilevel collaboration; multilevel learning; bridging organisations; and multilevel networks. These arrangements constitute important elements of the multilevel environmental governance landscape, and we analysed their role in promoting forest and landscape restoration. By using the proposed conceptual framework, a better understanding is created of how different scale-sensitive governance arrangements can support existing and future restoration efforts that are implemented as part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Translating national forest and landscape restoration targets into local action : Towards scale-sensitive governance

“…Yet, when cross-scale and cross-level challenges seem overwhelming, alternatives must be found that offer partial solutions. A nuanced scale-sensitive governance approach is required that takes observed cross-scale and cross-level challenges as a starting point to identify the governance arrangements and strategies that are needed in specific locations and at specific phases of the restoration process, with the aim to create cross-scale fit and cross-level alignment (Wiegant et al, 2022b(Wiegant et al, , 2022a. To make local restoration efforts effective, Ostrom (2009) highlighted that the analysis of interactions across multiple governance levels and across social and ecological systems can enhance efforts to effectively govern natural resources at the local level, and avoid simplistic 'one-size-fits-all' solutions that frequently fail.…”

“…In addition, there are various arrangements that can create alignment between governance levels. These are coordination, collaboration, and learning that take place between actors at different governance levels, as well as between bridging organisations and multi-level networks (Wiegant et al, 2022b).…”

“…With numerous restoration targets set by national governments, the governance arrangements used at the national and subnational level to translate high-level commitments into local restoration action require particular attention (Guariguata and Brancalion, 2014;Mansourian, 2016;Wiegant et al, 2022bWiegant et al, , 2020. Still, despite the prominence of restoration in policy frameworks, it remains largely uncharted how FLR strategies and policies are achieved locally (Fagan et al, 2020;Mansourian and Parrotta, 2019), whether and how their implementation is influenced by the characteristics of landscape contexts, and what challenges emerge in the process of reconciling the ecological and social objectives of FLR at the local level.…”

“…Lastly, water funds function as bridging organisations (Berkes, 2009) by linking actors who aim to safeguard mountain ecosystem functions for upstream rural communities and private landowners. In these ways, water funds aim to create cross-scale fit and crosslevel alignment and can hence be termed scale-sensitive governance arrangements (Wiegant et al, 2022b).…”

“…To effectively deal with scale challenges that emerge in implementation processes, actors need to deploy governance strategies that aim to create cross-scale fit and cross-level alignment (Wiegant et al, 2022b). Such scale-sensitive strategies can help actors to stay on course to achieve their restoration objectives in a context in which scale challenges continuously emerge.…”