Land use planning can be defined as the systematic assessment of
land and water potential, alternative systems of land use and other
physical, social and economic conditions. The purpose is to select and
adopt land use options which are the most beneficial
to land users
without degrading the resources or the environment, together with the
selection of measures most likely to encourage such land uses.
In the broadest meaning of the term, land use planning deals with
planning for all types of land use (rural, urban,
industrial, recreational,
etc.). Land use planning involves many aspects of planning such as
designing planning options, evaluation of feasibility (economic, envi-
ronmental, social impact assessment), providing assistance to decision
maker, implementation and monitoring of plans.
Rural land use planning is concerned with all (economic)
activities
in rural areas, such as agriculture, pastoralism, forestry, wildlife con-
servation and tourism. Besides evaluation of the potential of different
activities, rural land use planning assists in resolving conflicts of in-
terests between groups of land users.
Some of the key aspects of agricultural
land use planning are phys-
ical and socio-economic ones. Physical aspects involve land evalua-
tion (mapping, analysis, suitability matching), identification of oppor-
tunities for change (improve existing land use system, suggest new
land use systems), natural resources management (sustainable
land use
systems).
The objectives of socio-economic aspects include identification of
target groups, weighting options and connection with other admini-
stration/planning. Such land legislation as access to land, ownership of
resources, land reforms are also included in socio-economic aspects as
well
as training technical staff, farmers and financial framework like
credit schemes and products marketing.
Land is a limited resource and the misuse of land can lead to such
problem as non-sustainable land use: processes of overexploitation
(overgrazing, deforestation, erosion hazard).
We need to conserve land resources for
future use through sustain-
able land uses. For successful land use planning it is important to de-
termine the best use of the land. It is necessary to take into considera-
tion efficiency, equity, acceptability and sustainability of the land.
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