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This guide addresses FLR implementation as a whole but with a view toward climate change mitigation and adaptation; only if the landscape is changing and FLR is successful will climate benefits materialise. Implementing FLR in practice goes beyond generalized concepts. Implementing FLR generally requires a group of stakeholders rather than being the responsibility of a single stakeholder. We intend this guide to be a training resource for FLR facilitators who have a broad approach to land management. The guide is also aimed at anyone who implements FLR in a specific country or local context. Thus, policymakers and practitioners considering FLR commitments can use this guide to gain an understanding of the complexities of actual implementation.

The objective of this study conducted in the first half of 2017 was to analyze the necessity of and options for mitigating biodiversity risks resulting from FLR and the trade-offs that potentially accompany the implementation of FLR at scale. For this, the authors reviewed relevant literature, analyzed the outcomes (decisions and guidance) of the main relevant international policy processes and conducted an explorative expert survey online. Furthermore, unstructured interviews with participants at the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) conference on FLR in Puerto Rico, and participant observation at three high-level policy events related to the Bonn Challenge in 20173 were used to validate the findings. The report proceeds as follows: Section 2 provides a brief overview on definitions and interpretations of key terms related to FLR. In section 3, the international policy processes are analyzed regarding formally agreed objectives, decisions and guidance of relevance for implementing FLR. In section 4, the results of an empirical FLR expert survey are presented, focusing on views on potential FLR risks and trade-offs for biodiversity. The study concludes with options for addressing risks and dealing with regulatory deficits.

The Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) provides a critical analysis of the state of knowledge regarding the importance, drivers, status, and trends of terrestrial ecosystems. The Report recognizes that combatting land degradation, which is a pervasive, systemic phenomenon occurring in all parts of the world, is an urgent priority in order to protect the biodiversity and ecosystem services that are vital to all life on Earth and to ensure human well-being. The Report identifies a mix of governance options, policies and management practices that can help support stakeholders working at all levels to reduce the negative environmental, social and economic consequences of land degradation and to rehabilitate and restore degraded land. The Report encompasses all the terrestrial regions and biomes of the world, recognizing that land degradation drivers and processes can vary in severity within regions and countries as much as between them, and includes the full range of human-altered systems, including but not limited to drylands, agricultural and agroforestry systems, savannahs and forests and aquatic systems associated with these areas.

This Background Brief was produced by the organizers of the 2015 Global Landscapes Forum based on input from session hosts and members of the Science Committee. It is not intended to provide an exhaustive analysis of the theme, but to establish key issues, as perceived by those who provided input. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizers of the 2015 Global Landscapes Forum or partner organizations.