Resource information
Land is a scarce resource increasingly affected by the competition of mutually exclusive uses. Fertile land in rural areas becomes scarcer due to population growth, pollution, erosion and desertification, effects of climate change, urbanization etc. On the remaining land, local, national and international users with different socioeconomic status and power compete to achieve food security, economic growth, energy supply, nature conservation and other objectives. Land use planning can help to find a balance among these competing and sometimes contradictory uses.
The guide has been prepared for local as well as international, senior and junior professionals involved in rural development in developing countries who are interested in learning more about land use planning and integrating relevant concepts of land use planning in their development work. Unlike the first publication, the present one does not only focus on methods, strategies and tools but also includes a wide range of applications for land use planning with concrete examples.