Research projects 2

The main innovation of this research project is to approach and analyse REDD+ not only as a climate change mitigation measure, but as a new environmental governance mechanism that can lead to major changes in the forest governance and through it, distribution of benefits, costs, risks and opportunities of land use and forest management between the actors and groups involved. The main interest in this research is on how the notion of responsive forest governance is addressed in the processes. In this case,the responsive forest governance is concerned with issues of negotiation power, participation in planning and implementation of REDD+ and allocation of costs and benefits among the stakeholders and groups involved. The research results are expected to assist in designing socially equitable and environmentally appropriate options for REDD+ and further developing selected approaches to sustainable forestry that can help to achieve the goals of REDD+. Internationally, this proposed research could contribute significantly to policy-relevant research and empirical knowledge as well as theoretical debates on the nexus of social, economic and environmental sustainability and responsive and deliberative forest governance in developing world.

Team

Irmeli Mustalahti, PI Salla Rantala ja Melis Ece (2012-2013), Post doc researchers Sabaheta Ramcilovic-Suominen (2015-2018), Post doc researcher Daniel Hinojosa Flores, PhD student (on-going) Bishnu Devkota, PhD student (on-going) Maija Hyle, PhD student (on-going) Dipjoy Chakma, PhD student (on-going, externally funded) Mathias Cramm, research assistant (periodical) Phetsamone Soulivong, research assistant (periodical)

UTU Geography Section has been working in Tanzania since 2003 with Tanzanian and international partners. Our collaborative research topics are broadly related to the analysis of human-nature dynamics with landscape and geospatial approaches. We link our research efforts with education in Geography and Landscape Science, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, Participatory GIS and Landscape Management. We collaborate with our partners in developing better spatial tools, methods and practices of sustainable landscape management and use and preservation of natural resources.

Team

Niina Käyhkö, Taimi Sitari,Nora Fagerholm, Jussi S. Jauhiainen, Jukka Käyhkö,Harun Makandi,Sanna Mäki,Mikko Joronen, Lauri Hooli, Joni Koskinen, Salla Eilola, Zakaria Khamis, Niko Humalisto