98
landscapes or seascapes similarly or differently, and stimulates discussion among
actors who may not have regular interactions (e.g., elders and youth, different ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses).
Information and opinions on landscape and seascape resilience collected through
this process have been used for a variety of purposes. Some examples are given in
the next section of this chapter and include: to identify a baseline for producing a
sustainable development strategy at the landscape/seascape level and design projects to implement the strategy, as seen in the cases in Sects. 6.3.1 and 6.3.2; for
monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of ongoing resilience-strengthening
programs, as in Sects. 6.3.3 and 6.3.4; and as data for academic research projects, as
in Sect. 6.3.5.
6.3 Experiences Using the Indicators of Resilience
6.3.1 Use of the Indicators to Facilitate Participatory
Governance and Decision-Making: The COMDEKS
Program
The “Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama
Initiative” (COMDEKS) program has, since 2011, piloted a community-based
model of landscape management in 20 landscapes and seascapes around the world,
with the core objective to restore resilience in the face of a changing climate and
socioeconomic challenges, protect biodiversity, and sustain SEPLS. The indicators
are one of the principal tools employed by COMDEKS to gather information on
current conditions and trends in different dimensions of resilience, link them to
management practices past and present, and deepen community understanding of
what these observations mean in relation to resilience. Repeated use of the indicators allows for adaptive management, where assessment results are used to continuously update activities in line with community needs. COMDEKS is implemented
by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the
Ministry of the Environment of Japan, the Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity, and UNU-IAS, and is funded by the Japan Biodiversity Fund.
The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) functions as
its delivery mechanism and provides co-financing as well as technical and human
resources to oversee its implementation.
The COMDEKS methodology relies on community consultation to drive a process of participatory landscape planning, and the indicators are central to the community consultation process. As part of this process, community members and other
stakeholders come together to conduct a baseline assessment using the indicators,
which is then used to define a “landscape strategy.” Based on community perspectives and priorities delineated in the landscape strategy, projects in the community
are identified and provided funding to implement the strategy. The indicators are
W. Dunbar et al.
landscapes or seascapes similarly or differently, and stimulates discussion among
actors who may not have regular interactions (e.g., elders and youth, different ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses).
Information and opinions on landscape and seascape resilience collected through
this process have been used for a variety of purposes. Some examples are given in
the next section of this chapter and include: to identify a baseline for producing a
sustainable development strategy at the landscape/seascape level and design projects to implement the strategy, as seen in the cases in Sects. 6.3.1 and 6.3.2; for
monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of ongoing resilience-strengthening
programs, as in Sects. 6.3.3 and 6.3.4; and as data for academic research projects, as
in Sect. 6.3.5.
6.3 Experiences Using the Indicators of Resilience
6.3.1 Use of the Indicators to Facilitate Participatory
Governance and Decision-Making: The COMDEKS
Program
The “Community Development and Knowledge Management for the Satoyama
Initiative” (COMDEKS) program has, since 2011, piloted a community-based
model of landscape management in 20 landscapes and seascapes around the world,
with the core objective to restore resilience in the face of a changing climate and
socioeconomic challenges, protect biodiversity, and sustain SEPLS. The indicators
are one of the principal tools employed by COMDEKS to gather information on
current conditions and trends in different dimensions of resilience, link them to
management practices past and present, and deepen community understanding of
what these observations mean in relation to resilience. Repeated use of the indicators allows for adaptive management, where assessment results are used to continuously update activities in line with community needs. COMDEKS is implemented
by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the
Ministry of the Environment of Japan, the Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity, and UNU-IAS, and is funded by the Japan Biodiversity Fund.
The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) functions as
its delivery mechanism and provides co-financing as well as technical and human
resources to oversee its implementation.
The COMDEKS methodology relies on community consultation to drive a process of participatory landscape planning, and the indicators are central to the community consultation process. As part of this process, community members and other
stakeholders come together to conduct a baseline assessment using the indicators,
which is then used to define a “landscape strategy.” Based on community perspectives and priorities delineated in the landscape strategy, projects in the community
are identified and provided funding to implement the strategy. The indicators are
W. Dunbar et al.