Land use change

Changes in land use – such as from forestry to agriculture – are at the heart of global challenges of sustainable development. Tropical forest regions are particularly affected. They are the focus of investors pursuing commercial production of rubber, palm oil, soya, cacao, and other cash crops. This results in far-reaching changes to vegetation and industrial production methods that contribute to climate change, species loss, and diminished ecoystem services.
With the help of satellite images, geographic information systems, and participatory mapping, CDE develops methods to evaluate changes in land use – from the village to the regional level. In addition, its researchers analyse the decision-making of diverse stakeholders to find out what drives changes in land use. Further, they examine the quantitative and qualitative impacts of land use change on ecosystem services and human well-being. The knowledge gained in this way is used to steer land use change towards sustainability.
Initiatives
GLP - Global Land Programme
Land Matrix
OneMap Myanmar
Ongoing projects
Governance processes and impacts of extractive industries in Madagascar
Indigenous communities, land use, and tropical deforestation – INCLUDE
Landscape stewardship for nature and people
Managing telecoupled landscapes
Completed projects
AFGROLAND – African Food, Agriculture, Land and Natural Resource Dynamics
Ecosystem services and resulting trade-offs in Madagascar
The Lao DECIDE info Project
Language Compass Landscape and Environment
Large-Scale Land Acquisitions in Southeast Asia
Risk and strategies in forest-agriculture landscapes
Sustainable Land and Soil Governance
Sustainable Resource Governance and Climate Change Adaptation in Action
Trade-offs in forests between sustainable Economy and Environmental objectives (ATREE)