Land evaluation
What question should be answered by LUP
Processes of land evaluation
Initial consultant
Kinds of land use
Land use requirement and limitation
Land mapping unit
Land qualities
Comparison of land use with land
Principles of Land use evaluation:
i. Land suitability is assessed and classified with respect to specified kinds of use
ii. Evaluation requires a comparison of the benefits obtained and the inputs needed on different types of land
iii. A multidisciplinary approach is required.
iv. Evaluation is made in terms relevant to the physical economic and social context of the area concerned
v. Suitability refers to use on a sustained basis
vi. Evaluation involves comparison of more than a single kind of use
Levels of intensity and approaches:
Three levels of intensity may be distinguished: reconnaissance, semi-detailed and detailed.
Reconnaissance surveys are concerned with
broad inventory of resources and
development possibilities at regional and national scales.
Here Economic analysis is only done and
land evaluation is qualitative.
The results contribute to national plans.
Surveys at the semi-detailed, or intermediate, level are concerned with more specific aims such as feasibility studies of development projects. The work may include farm surveys; economic analysis is considerably more important, and land evaluation is usually quantitative. This level provides information for decisions on the selection of projects.
The detailed level covers surveys for actual planning and design, or farm planning and advice.
Two-stage and parallel approaches to land evaluation:
The relationships of resource surveys and economic and social analysis, and the land formulation manner, depend on the following approaches to land evaluation:
- A two-stage approach in which the first stage is concerned with qualitative land evaluation, second stage consisting of economic and social analysis;
- A parallel approach in which analysis of the relationships between land and land use proceeds parallel with economic and social analysis.
The two-stage approach is often used in resource inventories for broad planning purposes and in studies for the assessment of biological productive potential.
Fig: Two-stage and parallel approaches to land evaluation.
