Land Use Systems Analysis, a Multi-Scale Methodology to Explore Options for Development of Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems

In many developing countries, limiting factors for development of sustainable production systems include variability in agro-ecological and socio-economic conditions, poor access to geo-referenced data and information, and poor relationship between the civil society, researchers and decision makers. Working with Interactive Development Scenarios (IDS) models may provide a way to plan (agricultural) development. This tool can integrate results of various methods that assist in land use planning. Nine methods are briefly discussed and evaluated. All methods depend on reliable basic data, but many display inadequate planning procedures, static approaches and neglect of socio-economic aspects. Therefore, an alternative methodology "Land Use Systems Analysis (LUSA)" is being presented. It aims to cover the successful management of resources to satisfy changing human needs without degrading the environment or the natural resource base. Components and the functioning of land use systems are analysed in five steps, in an inter-disciplinary way, to give quantified and clear alternative land use options on different scales. Based on this approach, ICRISAT has started in 1996 a joint research project based on this approach with NARS in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, entitled "Exploiting multi-scale variability of land use systems to improve natural resource management in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa (MUSCLUS)". Four levels of scale are distinguished: agro-ecological zone, district, village land, and household. Its goals and expected outputs are presented in this paper.