In the wake of sustainable development, measurable indicators are needed to monitor land resources management. Aerial photograph interpretation, participatory research methods and logistic modelling were combined to establish indicators and to investigate their relationship with local land management systems. Land tenure and customary laws explained the di€erences in ®eld characteristics at Ike...

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and its sister conventions, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity, all aim to halt or mitigate the deterioration of the ecological processes on which life depends. Sustainable land management (SLM) is fundamental to achieving the goals of all three Conventions. Changes in land ...

Farmers have a far reaching impact in influencing the progress that is made in the sustainable management of New Zealand’s natural resources. While some advocates are ready and willing to prescribe apparently “more appropriate” behaviour, the contribution to sustainability can be questioned. There is considerable evidence that there is a complex interaction between farmers’ knowledge, attitude ...

Although the aspects of both land use and coastal management represent part of the larger concept of sustainable development, the strength and interest with which these aspects are received varies considerably among countries. It is well known that land use planning can facilitate the allocation of land to those use(s) that provide the greatest sustainable benefits. However, in order to achieve...

Bioenergy is expected to become one of the key energy resources for global sustainable development. However, bioenergy cannot be infinite, because the land area available for biomass production is limited and a certain amount of biomass must be reserved for food and materials. Land management is a topic that has long been neglected in sustainable development of bioenergy although land is a limi...

Initially, some notions on sustainable development are dealt with. Since its inception as the new development paradigm there has been a clear shift from a conservation-based ideology to a more development-oriented understanding. Consequently, the parallel development of different perceptions on land use planning is discussed. The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (1992) and the publication of...

Soil quality appears to be an ideal indicator of sustainable land management. Soil is the foundation for nearly all land uses. Soil quality, by definition, reflects the capacity to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and promote plant and animal health. By reflecting the basic capacity of the soil to function, it integrates across many potential use...