Researchers from the Kassel Institute for Sustainability at the Global Land Program (GLP) conference in Oaxaca

The Kassel Institute for Sustainability will be represented by Felix Krawczyk, Benjamin Stuch, Roman Hinz, Kira Fastner, and PhD guest student Famoussa Dembele from the West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) at the Global Land Programme's conference "Pathways to Sustainable and Just Land Systems" from November 4 to 8, 2024 in Oaxaca, Mexico. The team will present various research papers on sustainable land use and socio-ecological transformations. The conference is one of the most important international platforms for exchange on sustainable land use systems and aims to explore pathways for equitable and ecological future models.

The researchers will give lectures on various land use topics. Felix Krawczyk and Benjamin Stuch are actively involved in the organization and moderation of a session entitled "Exploring Alternative Futures in Land Use Models: Community Engagement and Social Movement led Deep Transformations". This session aims to discuss new pathways for transformative land use systems and to present community-based approaches to solving socio-ecological crises from different regions of the world.

Focus of the session: Transformative land use

Felix Krawczyk: "With this session, we want to initiate a debate on positive and desirable land use futures and scientific research into them."

In their session, the researchers are inviting an interdisciplinary discussion on alternative and transformative land use futures. The aim is to show perspectives on how multiple socio-ecological crises can be overcome through participatory approaches and local grassroots movements. Power relations are questioned and transformative impulses for a more desirable future are stimulated through stronger stakeholder engagement. The approach is intended to involve local actors in particular, whose knowledge and visions are based on regional experience, in order to transform land use systems sustainably.

Lecture by Felix Krawczyk: Land use models in times of crisis

In his presentation "Land use modeling in times of multiple interacting crises ", Felix Krawczyk ( Human-Environment Interaction Group and GRID) will shed light on the role of land use models in the face of interlinked global crises such as climate change, biodiversity loss and social inequalities. He questions the normativity of models and how power relations and ideological assumptions limit the scope of imaginable futures. Krawczyk argues for using land use models to push the boundaries of what is possible and promote profound societal transformations.

Lecture by Benjamin Stuch: Sustainable future scenarios for the Amazon

In his lecture entitled "Participatory modeling of alternative land-use futures and socio-environmental impacts in Southwestern Amazonia", Benjamin Stuch will present the results of an inter- and transdisciplinary research project for the border region of Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. This research is based on participatory scenarios and an integrative model system that combines a climate model with a land use model developed at the Kassel Institute for Sustainability (Research Group GRID). The results show that both "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches can lead to stabilizing effects in the region, while market liberalization with the expansion of western, "modern" agricultural systems has negative effects on the regional climate and the socio-ecological balance. The lecture emphasizes that regionally adapted, traditional land use practices should be more economically integrated in order to achieve positive ecological and social turning points.

Presentation by Roman Hinz: Sustainable climate protection for Ghana's agriculture and forestry sector

The agriculture and forestry sector in Ghana is facing significant challenges due to climate change that require urgent action. In his presentation, Roman Hinz (working groups GRID and Sustainable Land Use and Climate Change Mitigation) presents the need to link global socio-economic scenarios with climate scenarios and local knowledge in order to develop effective climate change mitigation strategies. As part of this study, over 30 expert interviews and 8 focus groups were conducted with representatives from government agencies, NGOs, rural communities and other relevant stakeholders. Key issues such as unequal access to resources, land use rights, the potential displacement of indigenous communities and the lack of recognition of traditional knowledge were discussed in detail. Based on this qualitative data, adapted future scenarios will be developed to show how the sector can respond to the challenges of climate change and what impacts can be expected on land use and the environment. The model-based analysis of these scenarios aims to formulate sound and sustainable climate change mitigation strategies for Ghana that take into account both social equity and environmental integrity. This represents an important step towards climate justice and long-term resilience.

Presentation by Kira Fastner: Urbanization, land use and food consumption in West Africa

In her presentation "Urbanization and Food Consumption in West Africa", Kira Fastner from the OPATS working group will present the effects of rapid urbanization in West Africa on agricultural land and food consumption using the examples of Ghana and Niger. Her research activities on this topic include evaluations of satellite images of land use changes, data on food flows and local surveys. Different patterns of consumption and access to food can be seen between urban, peri-urban and rural regions. Low-income peri-urban populations are particularly affected by the expansion of built-up areas, the associated land use conflicts between residential and arable land and rising food prices. Rural peripheral areas in northern Niger have been connected to growing urban markets in the coastal regions of West Africa, such as Accra in Ghana, which has led to an increase in the cultivation of cash crops. This shows that traditional subsistence farming is becoming less important, while imported staple foods such as rice and durum wheat products are increasingly being consumed. The results show that measures for sustainable food systems and food security in West Africa must be more strongly integrated into the management of urbanization and land use changes.

Presentation by Famoussa Dembele: Dwindling forests in Ghana - New study shows threat to the Bobiri Forest Reserve and emphasizes the importance of conservation measures

Famoussa Dembele, until recently a PhD visiting student at the Kassel Institute for Sustainability, Center for Environmental Systems Research (CESR), will present a new study on land use and vegetation changes in the Bobiri Forest Reserve (BFR) in Ghana at the conference. The research results show that the growing demand for agricultural land and raw materials is leading to a significant loss of natural vegetation. Between 1986 and 2022, the area of closed forest in the Bobiri area decreased significantly, while arable land and mixed vegetation increased. The 10-kilometer buffer zone around the protected area is particularly affected, with an annual deforestation rate of 0.64 %. The study emphasizes the urgency of conservation measures to preserve the natural ecosystems and the CO₂ storage function of these areas and to combat global climate change.