What Hampers Implementation of Integrated Landscape Approaches in Rural Landscapes?
Authors: Vermunt Dorith A. , Verweij Pita A. , Verburg René W. 
Published: June 2020

Purpose of Review

In rural areas, frameworks of integrated landscape approaches are increasingly being used to reconcile conflicting objectives of stakeholders and sectors, such as agriculture and conservation. In accommodating multiple land uses, social, economic, and environmental trade-offs need to be balanced. Different social processes underly integrated landscape approaches. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the barriers described in peer-reviewed case studies to better understand what hampers the implementation of integrated landscape approaches. To this purpose, we conducted a systematic literature study. We clustered the barriers into the following barriers groups: (1) participation problems, (2) interaction problems, (3) resource problems, and (4) institutional problems, and analyzed how these barriers hindered implementation of the following key landscape processes: planning and visioning, developing and implementing practices, establishing good governance, and monitoring and evaluation.

Recent Findings

We analyzed barriers described in 56 peer-reviewed papers that document 76 cases of integrated landscape approaches in 35 countries worldwide. Main stakeholder problems were related to absence of specific stakeholder groups, varying levels of engagement, or lack of stakeholder experience and skills. Interaction problems included a lack of communication, collaboration, or coordination, a lack of agreement due to different stakeholder visions, and power relations. Institutional problems were related to incompatible (national) policies and institutional structures hindering integration, and resource problems included limited availability of financial resources and a lack of data. These barriers hampered the implementation of the key processes needed to transition towards integrated landscape approaches in different ways. This paper provides an overview of the main barriers found for each landscape process.

Rural landscapes are often characterized by a variety of stakeholders and land use sectors, such as agriculture and natural resource conservation. Landscape approaches aim to integrate different goals such as conservation, production, and livelihoods simultaneously, but their implementation appears to be challenging. In this study, we take stock of the barriers described in the literature and analyze how different types of challenges related to stakeholder engagement, interaction between stakeholders, resources, and institutions hinder implementation of landscape approaches. According to this analysis, we demonstrate why particular problems pose challenges to the implementation of specific elements of landscape approaches. Few barriers were related to testing and implementing sustainable business practices since business stakeholders were often not involved. Most approaches were still in an early stage of development. The continuity of approaches is mostly not secured and calls for better institutionalization of landscape approaches. The set of identified barriers and their relations to key processes can be used as a diagnostic tool to enhance learning and improve the performance of landscape approaches in the transition towards integrated landscape management.