University Göttingen Hub on
Latin American Land Use under Climate Change (LALUC)

Vision

To move from process understanding into action by co-designing landscapes that are resilient to climatic extremes in an inter- and transdisciplinary way that values and validates indigenous and local (ancestral) knowledge systems and that considers legacies of long-term dynamics.

Objectives

• Creating an environment that fosters interdisciplinary research on the topic of Land Use under Climate Change in Latin America. The network, therefore supports and encourages projects of various types of funding (individual or collaborative) that can be implemented in any Latin American land use system, biome, landscape or elevation, with a regional and local focus. • Facilitating inter- and transdisciplinary comparisons in agreement with the interests of participants, LALUC especially encourages initiatives that engage with local stakeholders to co-design research from the beginning. • Promoting the exchange of ideas, expertise, and findings through events, platforms, and publications that reach not only the scientific community but also translate scientific knowledge into practical solutions that inform the general public and contribute to societal change. • Supporting the promotion of young researchers and promoting diversity and inclusion within the scientific community.

Initiation

Starting point of this network was a research symposium at the University of Göttingen in August, 2025. The symposium connected an inter- and transdisciplinary community of students, scientists, and engaged experts dedicated to understanding the complex dynamics of land use in Latin America in times of climate change. Based primarily in Göttingen, Germany, symposium participants brought diverse perspectives from the natural, social sciences and the humanities, bridging ecological, social, political, and economic dimensions. We recognized that land-use change is both, a biophysical process strongly related to climate change, and also deeply embedded in societal structures, power relations, and cultural contexts. This complexity demands a truly inter-and transdisciplinary approach, one that not only bridges academic disciplines but also fosters dialogue between scientific research and societal actors, with a particular focus on the societal context, knowledge, perspectives, and demands of local communities. A detailed report has been published here.

Long-term history of collaboration with Latin American partner institutions

The University of Göttingen is well-equipped to contribute to the generation of scientific knowledge on sustainable land use under climate change in the Americas, thanks to its strong research groups working in the region across the natural and social sciences. The university has well-established groups working on forestry, biodiversity, ecological systems, geography, agricultural sciences, and economic, juristic and social sciences. It also combines efforts across faculties e.g. through the Campus-Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use (CBL). This expertise is particularly relevant as the university is an internationally recognized hub for research on (subtropical and tropical) land use and sustainable development with a large community of early and mid-career researchers from the region, established connections and expertise in the Global South and already contributing to empower the Global South.