Promoting Landscape-Scale Forest Conservation through National Forest Policies

Promoting landscape-scale forest conservation through national forest policies involves managing forests not just as isolated patches, but as interconnected ecosystems that span large areas. This approach helps protect biodiversity, maintain ecosystem services like clean water and carbon storage, and improve resilience to climate change. National policies play a key role in guiding land use, encouraging sustainable practices, and coordinating efforts across different sectors and regions.

For example, in Brazil, the national Forest Code requires landowners in the Amazon to maintain a percentage of native vegetation, helping to preserve forest cover at a landscape level. In Indonesia, national policies have supported forest landscape restoration through programs like the Social Forestry Program, which grants forest management rights to local communities. Similarly, Rwanda’s Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative aligns with national policies to restore degraded land and increase forest cover as part of its Vision 2050 goals.

These efforts often involve working with local communities, Indigenous peoples, private landowners, and conservation organizations to develop long-term plans that balance environmental protection with economic and social needs. By integrating landscape-scale conservation into national forest policies, countries can create more effective and lasting solutions to environmental challenges.