The urgent need to enhance sustainable development in developing countries has never been greater: poverty levels are growing, land conversions are uncontrolled, and there is rapid loss of biodiversity through land use change. This important and timely book highlights the need for integrated assessment tools for developing countries, considering the long-term impacts of decisions taken today. The success of land use policies has in the past often been hampered by the fact that we simply do not know enough about their impact on sustainable development across developing countries. Land Use Policies for Sustainable Development contributes to bridging this knowledge gap whilst facilitating the successful design and implementation of land use policies.
The challenge of land use changes in response to changes in the policy environment – macro policy, agricultural and forest policy, environmental policy – is explored with a focus on the South. Detailed case studies encompassing seven countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America are presented via a common framework of analysis. In each case, sustainable development concerns are identified from environmental, economic and social perspectives. The interrelated causes of these problems are analysed by identifying key drivers and relevant land use policies, and the potential impact of prioritized land use policies are then discussed. This important book will prove invaluable to academics, researchers, postgraduate students and policy makers concerned with land-use planning, sustainable development and environmental studies.
Foreword
1. Introduction
2. Agriculture and Sustainable Development in Developing Countries in a Changed Global Context
3. Institutional Context for Sustainable Development
4. Integrated Assessment Approach
5. Agricultural Non-point Source Pollution in Taihu Lake Basin, China
6. Land Degradation in the Arid Jeffara Region, Tunisia
7. Land Degradation and Irrigation Practices in the Office du Niger, Mali
8. Pressure on Land in the Yogyakarta Region, Indonesia
9. Land Subdivision and Degradation in Narok, Kenya
10. Agrarian Crisis and Policy Links: A Framework for Karnataka, India
11. Road Development and Deforestation in Amazonia, Brazil
12. Lessons from a Comparative Analysis of Case Studies
13. Critical Analysis of Land Use Policies
14. Conclusions and Policy Recommendations