The 4 Returns Framework in Practice
A guidebook for holistic landscape restoration
2. Develop a shared understanding
Everyone brings unique perspectives and priorities to the landscape. Developing a shared understanding of the landscape, its challenges, and 4 Returns opportunities, ensures all voices are heard.
Developing a shared understanding within a landscape partnership is essential for uniting stakeholders, aligning interests, and collaboratively developing and implementing a landscape plan. Stakeholders might have fragmented knowledge about the landscape, and it is important to see where information overlaps and identify gaps. Achieving a shared understanding from the 4 Returns perspective involves grasping the root causes of the 4 Losses resulting from degradation: loss of purpose and hope; loss of jobs and prosperity; loss of biodiversity, soil, and water; and loss of long-term income. These are intertwined with factors such as the landscape’s history, culture, location, and political context. At this stage, it can be helpful to engage a neutral facilitator, who will guide stakeholders in generating and analysing landscape information, leading to a comprehensive and evidence-based understanding.
The chapter Defining the landscape delves into the factors that shape a landscape and the importance of defining boundaries. It examines geological, ecological, and human influences critical for effective management and restoration. The 3 Zones provide insight into landscape dynamics. Through hands-on exercises, you will learn to define these zones in order to make informed decisions about spatial design and foster a shared understanding of the landscape.
The chapter Understanding the landscape suggests two ways of improving your shared understanding of the landscape, the 4 Returns diagnosis and a landscape and stakeholder analysis. The 4 Returns diagnosis provides a snapshot of current conditions, identifying focus areas and interventions. Landscape and stakeholder analysis blends desk research with fieldwork, engaging diverse stakeholders. These analyses inform decision-making and restoration strategies, resulting in a comprehensive understanding of the landscape’s state, needs, opportunities, and potential partnerships.
The tool Defining the 3 Zones, published by Wetlands International, Commonland, and the Landscape Finance Lab in 2024, provides guidance on the 3 Zones and includes two exercises to define the 3 Zones in a landscape.
The 4 Returns diagnostic tool, published by Wetlands International, Commonland, and the Landscape Finance Lab in 2023, can help identify the status of the 4 Returns in the landscape and the impact achieved so far.
The resource A quick-start guide to stakeholder mapping, published by Commonalnd in 2023, provides more information on stakeholder mapping and analysis.
The landscape and stakeholder report layout, created by Commonland in 2023, provides the structure for your landscape and stakeholder report.
Envisaged outcomes
- Reached a thorough understanding of the landscape’s history, characteristics, and current state. This includes identification of land uses (the 3 Zones) and assessing the state of the 4 Returns in the landscape (including the root causes of degradation and future challenges), commonly referred to as the 4 Returns diagnosis.
- Attained insight into stakeholders’ interests. Acknowledging stakeholder perspectives and negotiating an inclusive future for collaboration in the landscape is an essential part of the process.
- Gained awareness of key restoration and regeneration opportunities in the landscape. An assessment of landscape opportunities (including carbon projects) and future scenarios for optimising the 4 Returns will help ensure a programme’s success.