Water and sectoral policies in agriculture–forest frontiers: An expanded interdisciplinary research approach |
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Authors: | Chris Seijger Daniela Kleinschmit Dietrich Schmidt-Vogt Muhammad Mehmood-Ul-Hassan Christopher Martius |
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Institution: | 1.Wageningen University, PO Box 414, 6700 AK Wageningen, The Netherlands ;2.University of Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106 Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany ;3.Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106 Freiburg, Germany ;4.World Agroforestry (ICRAF), PO Box 30677, Nairobi, 00100 Kenya ;5.Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) Germany gGmbH, Charles-de-Gaulle-Strasse 5, 53113 Bonn, Germany |
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Abstract: | Major land use changes such as deforestation and restoration influence water resources in agriculture–forest landscapes. Changes are observed in water flows, groundwater infiltration, water quality and rainfall. Interdisciplinary water–forest research has unravelled biophysical parts of the interplay that influences forest and water resources. In this Perspective paper, we propose an expanded interdisciplinary research approach to study water and policies in agriculture–forest frontiers. The approach differs in four important aspects from previous ones: (i) a conceptual ‘frontier’ understanding; an analytical focus on (ii) agriculture and (iii) policy–water linkages; (iv) empirical attention to northern and southern countries. The approach is put into practice with the “Pendulum” framework, with interventions and the agriculture–forest frontier oscillating over time between exploitation and restoration. Through the approach, a better understanding will be provided on the dynamic interplay of water and policies in oscillating agriculture–forest frontiers, with changing outcomes for people and environment. |
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Keywords: | Afforestation Forest Policy coherence Pendulum swing Regime shift Water resources |
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