Learning to realize multiple forest policy objectives under climate related stress and disturbance

Purpose and goal:

LEARNFORCLIMATE addresses the urgent need to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting multifunctional management of forests in times of rapid socio-ecological change. The aim is to support learning that enables concurrent achievement of multiple forest related objectives while responding to climate change related stress and disturbances.

Expected results and effects:

LEARNFORCLIMATE develops innovative methods for collaborative science-, practice-and policy learning. The project investigates the connections between disturbances and stress, policy change, forest owners’ and managers’ behavioral responses, and ecosystem services outcomes. The project identifies factors enabling and constraining learning and goal-achievement; develops innovative methods for promoting learning; and provides decision support and policy recommendations on how to realize multiple objectives and SDGs under climate related stress and disturbance.

Approach and implementation:

LEARNFORCLIMATE applies a comparative case-study design targeting learning on the forest policy- and management levels in four countries: Sweden, Germany, Slovenia and Poland. Each national forest governance system, with linkages across levels and sectors, represents a case for comparison. The analysis will explore the dynamics between policy, management and ecological outcomes.

The project applies a transdisciplinary design and a mixed methods approach including literature reviews, policy analysis, interviews and focus groups, surveys and forest ecosystem modeling.