First UNESCO Chair for the University of Groningen focuses on landscape and citizen science

How can millions of people who are a fan of a nature area contribute to its management? And how can we better shape this, within the Netherlands and together with partners in nearly 800 nature areas in 140 countries? That is the subject of the new UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Landscape Governance, Education and Citizen Science; the first UNESCO Chair at the University of Groningen.

Value of Nature and Landscape

Under the leadership of Frans Sijtsma of the Faculty of Spatial Sciences, the chair focuses on better understanding the value of nature and landscape to people and on shaping sustainable landscapes more effectively in practice.

‘It brings peace to the soul to sit here and look out over the water.’ This is what a respondent said in Sijtsma’s research when asked why he loves his favourite nature area. Everyone has their own favourite places in nature and their own reasons for appreciating them. And people often have a strong bond with that nature: locally and regionally, but also far beyond their immediate surroundings. Yet there is still little systematic knowledge about who loves which places or areas in nature and why. There is a great deal of knowledge about biodiversity, and a great deal of knowledge about economic interests, but only a little about experience and meaning. Therefore, the positive bond people have with places in nature is hardly utilized when supporting management and development.

Connection

Chair holder Frans Sijtsma: ‘We want to change this and make the connection between people and landscapes much more effectively measurable, understood, and utilized. The chair gives concrete form to this through three lines. In the Netherlands and worldwide, we are going to map out much more seriously who loves which natural places and why. In addition, we are experimenting with how we can better involve fans of various landscapes – digitally – in ideas, support, and funding. Finally, we are developing short online courses for policymakers and other stakeholders on how best to incorporate the experience of nature into their decision-making. So that together we make wiser decisions that take into account the appreciation of nature and landscape, ecology, and economic and cultural values.’

Greenmapper

To map this appreciation among citizens, the researchers use the Greenmapper platform. Via Greenmapper, more than 15,000 people from the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, and South Korea have already indicated what their favorite nature spots are (see screenshot). Everyone can participate at www.greenmapper.org.

Collaboration

An important goal of the chair is to collaborate with the 784 UNESCO Man & Biosphere Areas in 142 countries. This is a global network of – often iconic – exemplary areas, such as Serengeti-Ngorongoro (Tanzania) and the Central Amazon (Brazil), where active efforts are being made to find a better balance between nature and sustainable human use. The chair will utilize this network to develop and apply knowledge, in collaboration with local partners, citizen scientists, and international UNESCO networks. The core team includes scientists from Brazil, China, Ghana, Tanzania, South Africa, and Groningen. Within the Netherlands, there is intensive collaboration with the Man & Biosphere Areas Coordination Point, which is housed at Staatsbosbeheer. 

What does a UNESCO Chair do?

UNESCO Chairs promote (international) cooperation on UNESCO themes. They do this in collaboration with UNESCO Headquarters in Paris and the Dutch UNESCO Commission. As experts and partners, they provide knowledge for projects and advice, and help organize events. As ambassadors and connectors, they form a bridge with other (inter)national scientific organizations and convey their insights on UNESCO themes to a wide audience. The Netherlands has 18 UNESCO Chairs; worldwide, there are more than a thousand. 

The Universit of Groningen and UNESCO

Although this is the first UNESCO Chair at the University of Groningen, the work of a UNESCO Chair is not unfamiliar to the university. Since 2020, UG staff member Josje van der Linden has held the Ugandan UNESCO Chair ‘Lifelong Learning, Youth and Work’, which is affiliated with Gulu University in Uganda.