Landscape Governance Initial Planning and Preparation Workshop

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) with its Regional Member Countries identified and developed transboundary landscape initiatives in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Several transboundary initiatives are launched and well underway in the fragile landscape of the Hindu Kush Himalayas. Studies in these areas show it is possible to strike a balance between conservation and development, and mitigate between competing claims on land use. Only under the condition they are carefully designed facilitated, and take into account the multi-functionality of the landscape, as well as the basic principles of the sustainable management of natural resources, stakeholder involvement, and inclusive and informed spatial decision making can they be successful. These are the basic ingredients of ‘landscape governance’. Landscape governance provides an appropriate framework for the HKH transboundary programme.

The rationale for developing a landscape governance learning journey is to design a capacity building trajectory for partners and lead agencies operating in the five transboundary landscapes, to design, develop and facilitate landscape governance mechanisms, to enhance their landscape’s resilience in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

ICIMOD will lead a series of three workshops, divided over a period of 18 months. Wageningen University’s Centre for Development Innovation will facilitate the meetings, with the help of ICIMOD staff.

Objective of the workshop

• to develop a common understanding on the key concepts of transboundary landscape governance
• to identify the specific learning needs of ICIMOD’s partners and participants
• to design three learning modules and develop the content  and learning modalities (field work, training sessions) of each module
• to define the first learning module (Training of Trainers (TOT), September 2016)  in detail
• to distribute tasks and responsibilities for practical implementation of learning modules