In June 2020, we proudly announced our role as a founding partner in the ‘1000 Landscapes for 1 Billion People’ initiative (see website). With this initiative, Commonland joined forces with EcoAgriculture partners, WWF-Landscape Finance Lab, Rainforest Alliance, Conservation International, UNDP and TechMatters to enable landscape partnerships worldwide to achieve their regenerative landscape and livelihood ambitions through a joint approach and implementation of Integrated Landscape Management (ILM). We are pleased to provide you with an update on our progress as we are starting the next phase (2021-2023).
Based on Design Teams’ consultations, a Co-Design Workshop, and an internal alignment and collaboration workshop facilitated by the Presencing Institute, the Inception Phase was completed in August 2020.
In this phase, we gained a better understanding of Landscape Partnership needs and priorities; a “Shared Vision for Thriving Landscapes” was developed, and four core services were defined.
These services will be implemented in the Co-Design, Testing and Demonstration Phase (see also 1000 Landscapes Theory of Change):
- Terraso Digital Landscape Platform. The open-source Terraso software platform will make the implementation of ILM by local Landscape Partnerships easier and more effective.
- ILM Capacity Development. ILM tools and user-centred curricula will be delivered through existing landscape learning networks, training institutes and developers, and the Terraso platform to build Landscape Partnerships’and leaders’ practical capabilities to implement ILM.
- Landscape Finance Solutions. This service focuses on filling gaps in financing landscape investment portfolios (public, private, community projects) at scale. Financial institutions will be engaged to shift finance institutions and flows towards investment at scale in priority projects defined by Landscape Partnerships.
- Global Action Network. This network will be hosted on the Terraso Digital Platform and brings Landscape Partnerships together with developers, businesses, technical experts, and others to overcome constraints that limit access to the knowledge, expertise, and other support that Landscape Partnerships need to develop and flourish.
In 2021, we have begun to develop the Terraso, Capacity Development and Landscape Finance designs with a small number of Landscape Partnerships. By mid-2021 we should be ready to work in more landscapes and with more partners around the world.
For more details about the services developed, and the partnership in general, please see the full update.
If you would like to know more about our role in the initiative, please contact
Simon Moolenaar, Director – Knowledge, Education & Innovation: simon.moolenaar@commonland.com.
Shared Vision for Thriving Landscapes
Each landscape, watershed, territory or jurisdiction is unique. But all face common challenges for collaborative action. The 1000L partners share a Vision for thriving landscapes worldwide:
Why?
To overcome challenges for collaborative action and realize a shared vision for thriving landscapes.
Who?
All stakeholders in the landscape are working together as a landscape partnership.
What?
Achieve all four benefits from their landscape: inspiration for the next generation, human well-being, healthy nature, and a regenerative economy.
When?
Acting now, but with a 20+ year generational vision and commitment.
Where?
Designing strategies for three different areas within the whole landscape for: conserving, restoring and connecting natural habitats for biodiversity; developing regenerative agriculture and land use systems that enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions, productivity, and social benefits; and making rural and urban settlements, infrastructure, and industry more sustainable.
How?
Through a process framework with five elements of integrated landscape management:
- Landscape Partnership – developing a strong, long-lasting coalition of organizations in the landscape from across sectors and communities;
- Shared Understanding – building common understanding of the state of the landscape, trends and future scenarios, and the interests of one another as actors;
- Vision and Planning – forging a long-term vision and strategy, evaluating options, developing spatially-targeted action plans, and an inspiring landscape narrative.
- Taking Action – coordinating actions, developing and financing an integrated landscape investment portfolio; tracking implementation of the action plan; and sustaining communication among partners and with the public and policymakers;
- Impact and Learning – measuring landscape impacts, capturing lessons learned, and using them to adjust the landscape strategy and action plan.