Unravelling cross-scale and cross-level challenges in Ethiopian forest and landscape restoration governance

Abstract

Ethiopia's federal government has committed to one of the most ambitious forest and landscape restoration targets as part of the Bonn Challenge. To achieve the targets, actors at multiple governance levels aim to influence relevant ecological processes, drawing particular attention to the governance processes that are used to translate national restoration targets into local action. We take a multilevel governance approach and focus on the cross-scale and cross-level challenges that arise in Ethiopia's forest and landscape restoration (FLR) governance context. To this end, we analyze public and non-state actor-led efforts related to participatory forest management and area enclosure in the Kafa Biosphere and Mount Guna landscapes. From 56 semi-structured interviews, 14 focus group discussions, and a policy and project document review, we identified five cross-scale and cross-level challenges: (1) short-term tree planting campaigns and quota mismatch with restoration timelines; (2) planning horizons of restoration-related international development projects mismatch with restoration timelines; (3) federal and international budget allocation for alternative livelihoods mismatches with sustained local restoration processes; (4) federal forest and land policies mismatch with the secure land tenure conditions needed to sustain local restoration efforts; and (5) misalignment of the forest and landscape restoration portfolio exists in the cascading government structure. The need to achieve and sustain national FLR targets requires increased focus on how existing and future restoration-related governance arrangements create fit with the temporal and spatial dimensions of forest and landscape restoration processes, and on how governance arrangements create alignment between governance levels.

Cross‐scale interdependencies require attention in forest restoration

“…Such plans and programs run the risk of disregarding governance challenges that go beyond the sphere of influence of local decision‐making (Arts et al 2017). The effectiveness of forest restoration efforts could be compromised if decision‐making processes are not aligned across different governance levels, or when the spatial and temporal dimensions of governance processes mismatch those of ecological processes (Evans et al 2022; Wiegant et al 2022 b ). To this end, a perspective that examines the decision‐making processes that occur across governance levels, and the challenges associated with these can improve the quality of forest restoration design and implementation (Stephenson 2013; McLain et al 2017; Djenontin et al 2018).…”

Farm forests, seasonal hunger, and biomass poverty: Evidence of induced intensification from panel data in the Ethiopian Highlands

“…The region has been characterized by an agricultural mosaic dominated by grasslands and varying extents of forested area for approximately 2500 years (Darbyshire et al 2003 ), with cycles of deforestation and afforestation driven by technological change, political events, and climatic factors (McCann 1997 ). National forest management and tree-based landscape restoration strategies have often failed to consider the complex environmental history of the Amhara region, assuming a unidirectional phenomenon in which population growth leads to deforestation by way of expanding small-scale agriculture and overharvesting biomass fuels (Ethiopian ReDD + Secretariat 2018 ; MEFCC 2018 ); even as the policy evidence base is often limited at spatial and temporal scales that are incongruous with more complex local realities (Wiegant et al 2022 ). Beyond deforestation, policy aligns with authors who propose increasing population pressure as the overall driver of environmental degradation, food insecurity, and conflict that eventually led to famine conditions in Ethiopia (Haile 2004 ; Lemenih and Kassa 2014 ).…”

Review on Factors Affecting Early Survival of Tree /Shrub Seedlings and it’s Remedy in Restoration Sites of Ethiopia

“…In response to global and national forest loss and its consequences, millions of dollars are spent every year on tree-based landscape restoration activities. Nevertheless, limited afterplanting management, weak species-site match, lack of time for sufficient growth of native tree species seedlings (Duguma et al, 2020), and scheming short-term tree planting campaigns (Wiegant et al, 2022) are the challenges that hamper the success of public tree growing schemes, causing poor seedling survival rates. Moreover, Preece et al (2023), pointed out that lack of watering seedlings or saplings immediately prior to planting, careless planting in the wrong pit condition, and weed suppression are critical factors that affect plant survival rates in the tropics.…”