Integrated Forest and Land Use Planning

Landscape spatial planning is a systematic approach to organising land use to balance ecological, economic, and social priorities. “Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) is the ongoing process of regaining ecological functionality and enhancing human well-being across deforested or degraded forest landscapes. FLR is more than just planting trees – it is restoring a whole landscape to meet present and future needs and to offer multiple benefits and land uses over time” (IUCN, 2019). Effective landscape planning ensures sustainable management by identifying land-use patterns that support biodiversity, reduce resource conflicts, and enhance ecosystem services, particularly in regions vulnerable to climate change or overexploitation.

When planning a FLR programme, the first step is to identify locations where deforestation and/or degradation have occurred, and the second step is to note priority landscapes and specific ecological and social goals. After the FLR intervention, the monitoring stage requires spatial data on the developments of the reforestation and conservation activities. EO plays a critical role in supporting landscape spatial planning and sustainable management by enhancing the accessibility and usability of spatial data for policymakers and stakeholders, fostering capacity building and enabling informed resource management.