Interactive field excursions on bridging ecology and economy

9 November 2018
The 57 participants in the Experiential Learning
The 57 participants in the Experiential Learning

A two-day Experiential Learning module, developed by the ENABLE consortium, was held in southeast Spain in late October. The interactive field excursions focused on equipping the participants with the skills and knowledge required to restore landscapes while bringing back social, cultural, and financial benefits to society.

Participants experienced the impacts of land degradation on nature, society and economy, and studied how to prevent degradation. They also experienced different solutions to restore landscapes based on sustainable business models, and explored the importance of land restoration for ecosystem services. UNU-LRT sponsored two participants from UNU-LRT partner organizations to attend the Experiential Learning module. They were Irene Jamilatu Yenuyet Yaro from the Environmental Protection Agency in Ghana and Enkh‐Amgalan Tseelei from the National Federation of Pasture User Groups of Herders (NFPUG) in Mongolia.

The Experiential Learning is one of the outputs of the ENABLE consortium, which is a strategic partnership co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. The ENABLE consortium consists of UNU-LRT, Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University, Commonland, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa and the Spanish National Research Council, which hosted the Experiential Learning module in Spain.

The main goal of the ENABLE partnership is to develop much needed education on integrated landscape management based on sustainable business models. Such education can bridge the gaps between ecology and economy, environment and business, theory and practice, global and local, and help deal with global challenges as defined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.