USE OF LAND RESOURCESNEED FOR LAND USE

POLICY
Reporter:
Emerson T. Armero
CEM 201- Urban and Regional Planning
Dr. Margie R. Atizardo
(Professor)
May 2. 2015

Introduction
Today the research focus is on the dynamics of land
use. Land represents an important resource for the
economic life of a majority of people in the world.
The way people handle and use land resource is
decisive for their social and economic well-being as
well as for the sustained quality of land resources.
Land use however is not only a realm of those
directly using it; it is exposed to a part of the wider
reality of social and economic development and
change. Land use therefore is a highly dynamic
process. This implies that policy discussion and
development planning need to be based on a sound
understanding of these dynamics.

If, in the future, human requirements are to be met in a

sustainable manner, it is essential to resolve these conflicts now and
move towards more effective and efficient use of land and natural
resources. Integrated physical land-use planning and management
are an eminently practical way to achieve this. By examining all uses
of land in an integrated manner, it makes it possible to minimize
conflicts, to make the most efficient trade-offs and to link social and
economic
development
with
environmental
protection
and
enhancement, thus helping to achieve the objectives of sustainable
development.
The essence of the integrated approach finds
expression in the coordination of the sectoral planning and
management activities concerned with the various aspects of land
use and land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of
purposes which interact and may compete with one another,
therefore, it is desirable to plan and manage all uses in an integrated
manner. Integration should take place at two levels, considering, on
the one hand, all environmental, social and economic factors and on
the other, all environmental and resource components together (i.e.,
air, water, biota, land geological and natural resources). Integrated
consideration facilitates appropriate choices and trade-offs, thus
maximizing sustainable productivity and use.

Case for Land Use Policy

It is well established now that 80% of the worlds population lives in
countries where agriculture and land are primary sources of learning and
livelihood. In these countries the rising trend of land degradation is a distinct
feature. Deforestation, inadequate land use, unsuitable farming and grazing
practices, demographic pressure, lack of appropriate and improved
technologies, poor markets and other legal institutional faults are the main
cause of this. And this is, indeed, a concern for all in terms of food security and
sustainable development.
Conflict over land use is inevitable. The rise in population puts more
pressure on arable land, grazing, forestry, wild life, tourism and urban
development. It is estimated that the population dependent on land for food,
fuel and employment will double within next 50 years. Most of the land available
to meet current and future food requirements is already in production, any
further expansion must necessarily involve fragile and marginal lands. This is
particularly so in developing countries where population growth is high, poverty
is endemic and existing institutional capacity for land management is weak. In
spite of this knowledge the question is why land use planning is not a reality
even now.

The World economy which is presently dictated by urbanization,

industrialization and other development activities, is outstripping the land capability. As a
result, serious concerns of land and environmental degradation and declining
productivity growth rate have come into prominence the world over, in recent years.
Approximately 5-7 million hectares of usable lands are lost every year through land
degradation, and 2 billion ha of land are already degraded due to various causes. The
relative influence of soil degradation is estimated at 39% in Asia, 25% in Africa, 12% in
South America, 11% in Europe and 5% in Oceania. India plagued with high population
and poverty, rank very high among the developing countries. Half a billion people in
developing countries live in arid regions with no access to irrigation systems. Another
400 million are living on land with soils unsuitable for agriculture, 200 million in slopedominated regions, and more than 130 million in fragile forest ecosystems. These areas
covering an estimated 73 percent of Earths land surface face significant problems for
agriculture investment and have limited ability to sustain growing populations. Sensitive
to land use patterns, they are particularly vulnerable to degradation, erosion, floods, and
landslides.
The test of our progress is not whether we add more to thee abundance of
those, who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.
- Franklin
Delano Roosevelt

One-quarter of the people in developing countries, 1.3 billion in all survive on

fragile lands, area that present significant constraints for intensive agriculture and where
the peoples links to the land are critical for the sustainability of communities, pastures,
forest and other natural resources. The least productive area should have been
abandoned first, as people migrate out to better opportunities. While some people have
left, many remain behind and others are migrating in (the estimated population on fragile
lands has doubled since 1950) Improving their livelihoods is essential for meeting many
of the Millennium Development Goals for the coming decades.
People living on fragile lands are vulnerable but have a modest portfolio of
assets that can help bring them out of poverty: the land, traditional social capital, human
capital, and indigenous knowledge and know-how. However, the potential productivity of
even these assets has not been fully developed by either local or national institution.
Living in disperse settlement and working in the informal or subsistence economy,
people on the rural periphery are largely invisible to decision makers. As a result,
institutions have not been picking up social and environmental distress signals from the
periphery-nor have these institutions been able to balance interests in setting their
development agendas. For the past 50 years the governments and private sector have
focused the bulk of their attention and agricultural spending on the development of lands
with commercial potential even though much of the rural population remains on marginal
land.

Population pressure on arable land in Asia is considerable and growing.

Severe land degradation affects some 35 percent of productive land. The
result has been to put more population pressure on the Inner Asian dry
lands. Most affected are Afghanistan, China, India, and Pakistan and Inner
Asias high steppe, the largest remaining pastureland in the world, which
includes Mongolia, northwestern China, and parts of Siberia. Over thousands
of years, these grasslands have been home to nomadic herders of horses,
camels, goats, sheep, and cattle, practicing elaborate systems of seasonal
pasture rotation across wide stretches of land in response to climate
fluctuation
Then there is a larger issue which humanity is confronting today. It is a selfgenerated environmental crisis. The patterns and ever accelerating pace of
economic development has been in conflict with the environment for quit
some time now, and if this trend continues, the cumulative effects of
population increase, resource depletion and degradation of the environment
will take a heavy toll. Statistics accumulated over the years show yearly
deterioration in global resources. Our air, soil and water are getting polluted;
there is ozone depletion in the upper part of the atmosphere while
accumulation in the lower part is leading to global warming. Something must
be done urgently and on a large enough scale to arrest this deterioration.
There is need for an agreed agenda of action promoting an all-encompassing
concept of sustained development in order to ensure that the needs of the
present generation are met without compromising the ability of the future
generations to meet their own needs. This implies a commitment not to
damage or destroy the basic life support system of our planet Earth,
namely, the air, water, the soil and the biological system. Development must
be economically sustainable to ensure a continuous flow of goods and
services derived from the earths natural resources to all generation.

Water is also one of the most critical of natural

resources. This precious gift of nature is the essence of the
life and the cradle of life on our planet. Throughout the
wide spectrum of historical experience, we find that
civilization were born and flourished around water sources.
Water crises have precipitated social and political turmoil
throughout human history; and for good reason. Life
cannot be sustained without water. Moreover it is a crucial
input for development.
There is a growing water crisis today. One can
understand the scarcity of water where nature has
withheld its bounties, but there should be none as a result
of mismanagement of the available. Water engineers and
scientists are confronted with challenges of sustainable
development and have the responsibility to meet these
challenges both at the macro-level of overall demand and
supply and at the micro-level by designing, operating and
maintaining water resources and water projects in a
manner consistent with the objective of sustainability.

On the other hand the water

resources in the country are unevenly
distributed, spatially and temporarily. Rainfall
is erratic and most of the rain falls in four
months of the monsoon season. The problem
is compounded by the unnecessary/inefficient
use of water, both surface and ground water.
This has led to water logging and soil salinity:
the ground water table has fallen in many
areas and the numbers of dark blocks/areas
have increased. The challenge before us is
how to conserve and relocate rainwater, so
that four months rainwater can be utilized for
twelve month for multiple uses. Rainwater
harvesting is what will push agricultural
productivity, create employment and hence
eradicate poverty.

Main Objectives of Land

Use Policy

Resource use efficiency to meet the growing consumption needs.

Plan and resource linkages for land related programme

To restore productivity of degraded lands

Suitable institutional mechanism for scientific management,
conservation & development of land resources.

Expansion of effective forest cover to restore ecological balance

Conjunctive use of surface and ground water resources.
Preservation of prime agricultural land
Translate policies through plan efforts into action.
Greater awareness through education, training, extension
programmes

Issues for Consideration

Achievement of desirable land use pattern through sectoral

approach/Plan linkages

Formulation of economical viable projects for each sector i.e.

forests, agriculture, horticulture to translate land care into
peoples movement.

Application of modern science & technology to enhance

productivity.

Preparation of Land Use Atlas.

Generation of strong political/ administrative will.

Computerized and updated Land Records.

Strict laws/rules for land use conversion

Maintaining and improving soil fertility and unit area land productivity.

Surveys of land resources - climate, water, soils, landforms, forests, and

rangelands to improve efficiency of investment.

Need to generate systematic database on land utilization and land

management practices at national, state and local levels in the country.

Training/orientation programmes for land use practitioners.

Publicity of success stories in case of soil conservation & better land

management

Effective reclamation of degraded lands.

Measures to check further degradation of land

Effective watershed management and reduction in disparities and

regional imbalances prevalent in the State
through policy
interventions.

Diversification of land use

Awareness generation based on local needs/environment

Preventive measures on adverse effects from industrial waste and

effluents on good forest and cultivable land.

Development of rural agro-based industries

Treating water as an economic good and not as a free commodity

The State Land Use Boards should be suitably strengthened with
statutory powers to integrate and monitor activities of Land User
Departments.