Social cohesion in restoration landscapes: The case of Rwanda

Ecosystem restoration is recognized as a strategy for addressing landscape degradation. In contexts where ecological degradation overlaps with the deterioration of social cohesion, restoration must also contribute to rebuilding social ties alongside restoring ecosystems. However, social cohesion lacks a standardized framework, resulting in varied conceptions, particularly in post-conflict contexts like Rwanda. The overarching aim of this study is to examine how restoration intersects with social cohesion. We conducted a systematic literature review to explore how social cohesion is conceptualized in Rwanda, and a world café workshop and semi-structured interviews to gather insights from local actors regarding their understanding of social cohesion and the spaces and opportunities within ecosystem restoration initiatives that contribute to social cohesion rebuilding. We found that social cohesion is best understood as the degree of social integration, characterized by shared identity, values, norms and a common vision, all manifesting through collective well-being and positive social relations, such as trust and cooperation, not just among citizens but also between citizens and the state. Our findings also revealed that ecosystem restoration is associated with resource competition, marginalization of some community members, social inequalities and conflicts. At the same time, ecosystem restoration initiatives created social spaces, including project meetings, farmer groups, savings groups, exposure visits, community work, community assemblies and parents' evenings, all of which support ecosystem restoration implementation while rebuilding social cohesion. We also found opportunities in ecosystem restoration, such as capacity building, supportive government programmes, partnerships, community mediators, extension officers, youth volunteers and access to resources that both facilitated ecosystem restoration and strengthened social cohesion. In post-conflict contexts, social cohesion should not be confined exclusively to social relations, as these are often eroded by conflicts, but should comprehensively encompass social integration, shared norms and values, an inclusive identity, a collective vision and overall well-being. Our findings offer timely insights into advancing the UN Decade on ecosystem restoration by emphasizing the incorporation of social dimensions into ecosystem restoration interventions to enhance outcomes. Locally responsive and community-based ecosystem restoration approaches have far bigger impacts on society, well beyond ecology or livelihoods. The UN Decade on ecosystem restoration should focus on socially transformative approaches for effective ecosystem restoration and for rebuilding social cohesion in post-conflict settings.