Resource information
A review of needs at various scales for tools and processes that can help countries and stakeholders meet emerging challenges, address increasing degradation of and competition for resources, support the sustainable use and restoration of land and water resources, and ensure resilient ecosystems.
There has been a loss of interest in the discipline of land-use planning in recent decades, largely because little unused and unexplored land remains; moreover, scientists have realized that the relationship between land productivity and ecological/edaphic factors is dependent not only on land or soil potential but also on social and economic factors. On the other hand, management and inputs are still dependent on natural resources such as soil quality, water availability, biodiversity and climate, as well as on infrastructure, access to services and labour, and knowledge.
For example, less-healthy or less-suitable soils involve a higher cost (e.g. in terms of soil and water conservation measures, irrigation, fertilizers and adapted seeds orother germplasm) to attain the same yield as suitable soils, where suitability involves the ability not only to produce but also to store, process and sell surplus products. Consequently, suitability evaluations that address only land resource potential have declined in importance, while the matching of management options (technologies and approaches) with land uses and socio-economic determinants (e.g. knowledge, inputs, costs and benefits) – as proposed, for example, in Land Degradation Assessment in Dryland Areas (LADA) and the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) – have gained in importance.
Modern approaches to land-use planning not only determine appropriate land-use types but also provide decision-makers with sustainable land resource management scenarios that improve productivity and
sustainability. The scarcity of land and water increases competition for these resources and forces users to intensify production to meet escalating demand. Decision-makers need assistance in determining and putting into practice the best land-use management options for sustaining production.
