On 11 April 2024, the eighth edition of the INTERFACES colloquium series saw a presentation by Dr. Frederike Klümper of TMG-Research. Dr. Klümper, a land tenure expert and the leader of TMG’s Land Governance Programme, talked about “Empowering Communities for a Just Transition towards Land Degradation Neutrality: Evidence from Benin, Kenya, Madagascar and Malawi”, giving examples from her group’s current research at the intersection of land degradation neutrality (LDN) initiatives and land tenure rights in several African countries, focusing specifically on the impact on forest-dependent communities. In her presentation she highlighted the existing conflicts between the rights of the people living off forest resources and the drive towards natural resource protection initiatives. She proposed several solutions to address these challenges, emphasising the importance of participatory approaches and inclusive governance mechanisms.
In the following discussion, more details were sought about the mechanisms TMG uses to channel important research findings into highest decision making bodies within UN conventions and national governments as well as more details on specific trade-offs and conflict resolution between groups of users of forest natural resources. It became evident that INTERFACES, the four regional research projects and TMG should join hands for more impact and influence on both national and international decision-making levels to foster sustainable land management.
