The Rapid and Participatory Assessment of Land Suitability in Development Cooperation

Development cooperation in agriculture aims to contribute the achieving of a large part Sustainable Goals (SDGs) UN 2030 Agenda, especially first three, No Poverty (1), Zero Hunger (2), and Good Health Well-being (3). tries help local communities increase their awareness, participation, skills about management land environmental resources, order realize sustainable development. In this context, methods participatory assessment suitability have been widely successfully applied. The present research took place framework real development intervention Nord Kivu (Democratic Republic Congo) aimed implement rapid suitability. where official detailed data are not available, study fostered active involvement experts used geographical information systems (GIS) identify most suitable crops be supported different zones area. Toward aim, authors procedure based on following steps: identification relevant use types (LUTs), mapping capability factors, describing responses each LUT potential for LUTs, accessibility, LUTs. Resulting maps tables were areas uses. Globally, forestry was suited (99.6% area is potentially highly suitable), followed by cropping manioc, sorghum, banana, oil palm, bean cattle grazing decreasing (62.6% grazing). When accessibility considered, presents largest decrease class high (−34.9% equal loss 24,945.5 ha), while less adaptable uses, such as showed lower decreases (−11.2%) larger increases scarcely (+9.5%). At later stage, comparison between computed actual helped with identifying should only (or most) activity push integrated Our interpretation results allows us recommend adoption agroforestry intercropping main methodologies integrate multiple conservation improvement livelihoods.