What shapes success in Integrated Landscape Management (ILM)? While quantitative analysis can help identify patterns, Kim Geheb argues that many of the factors that matter most – trust, relationships, local leadership and the ability to "read" a landscape – are often harder to measure, but no less important.

Why do some landscape initiatives gain momentum while others struggle to endure? In this preview of a forthcoming paper, George Schoneveld reflects on lessons from 15 landscapes and the factors that seem to make the biggest difference.

Real-world lessons from landscapes – plus what's coming up in 2026.

As the only non-scientist on the team, it's been fun to watch my Central Component colleagues going "soft" ? over the course of this programme. Here's what surprised them.

Mauritius dazzles with emerald peaks and turquoise seas — but its “green” landscapes hide centuries of ecological loss. Nearly 90% of native forests are gone, leaving Mauritians with the urgent responsibility of stewarding biodiversity of global significance.

Integrated Landscape Management in the real world: We’ve been visiting; you’ve been talking; we’ve all been learning.

As part of our formal learning process, we are working together to draw out key messages and insights from each country – not just to close out the programme, but to support the next generation of Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) innovators and champions.

Integrated landscape management can feel abstract – but it comes alive in the field. This year, we've been revisiting our landscapes to see how ILM is taking shape in practice. Through honest conversations, collaborative reflection and some challenging questions, we've been exploring what’s working, what isn’t, and how teams are learning as they go.

Progress might require a meandering route in politically sensitive, ecologically important, and operationally challenging settings. Recent experiences from our landscapes in Latin America and the Caribbean illustrate how adaptive learning offers a way forward.

Of wicked games, changing systems and destroying trust