Building a GIS Platform for Sustainable Land Management: A Case Study of the City of Čačak, Serbia

Cost-benefit analysis of sustainable land and water management practices in selected highland water catchments of Kenya

This study was conducted with the objective of determining the returns to sustainable land management (SLM) at the national level in Bhutan. The study first uses satellite data on land change (Landsat) to examine land use change in 1990–2010 and its impact on sediment loading in hydroelectric power plants. The study then uses the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to analyze the impact of land use change and land management on sediment loading. The results from the land use change and SWAT analyses are used to assess the economic benefits of SLM. We estimate the benefits and costs of SLM practices and compare them with the land-degrading practices that are most prevalent in Bhutan—that is, business as usual. An analysis of the drivers of adoption of SLM practices is also done to draw conclusions about strategies that Bhutan could use to enhance adoption of SLM practices. The land cover change results show that the vast majority of forested areas remained as such between 1994 and 2010. SWAT results show that with long-term SLM practices such as contouring, increased forested cover and density, terracing, and other SLM practices, soil erosion from forested area could be reduced by 50 %. Analysis of returns to SLM practices showed that citrus orchards are the most profitable enterprises in 13 of the 20 districts (dzongkhag), but they require farmers to wait for at least six years before the first harvest. Improved pasture management is the second most profitable enterprise—underscoring the potential role it can play to meet the growing demand for livestock products as household incomes increase. Returns to community forest management are low but profitable at a 10 % discount rate. Considering the drivers of SLM adoption, our research shows an inverse relationship between returns to land management and their corresponding adoption rates. The factors that increase adoption of SLM were land security, access to extension services, and roads. In summary, Bhutan’s policies and its cultural and historical background have set the country on the path to becoming a global green growth success story. Results of this study vindicate the country’s efforts to invest in sustainable land and forest management and highlight the additional policies and strategies that will enhance achievement of Bhutan’s SLM objectives.

Open space has various implications in urban development planning and has been integrated in recent urban planning approaches and practices in Nepal. The open spaces are not only important for (re)shaping the urban form but are also important for enhancing urban social life and disaster risk management, particularly for dense cities. As most of the cities in Nepal have been growing haphazardly, the cities lack sufficient open space. However, the value of open space in dense cities like Kathmandu has been recognized more after the Gorkha Earthquake 2015 as the open spaces were extensively used for risk relief, treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation during and after the earthquake. With this background, this paper presents the major planning initiatives in Nepal and discusses how recent urban plans have provisioned and initiated open spaces development by reviewing concurrent urban planning practices, particularly reviewing Periodic Plans, Integrated Urban Development Plan, Smart City Plan, and Land Development Plan. The development of open areas has not been given much attention in the earlier urban planning practice but recent urban development planning has emphasized with a special focus which is very important for sustainable and safer city development and is expected to address the current bulging urban issues of spatiality and sociability. Therefore, it is very important for integrating open space implications in city planning and such open space should be conceptualized according to the city’s geography, landscape as well as socio-cultural contexts.

Hillslope erosion improvement targets: Towards sustainable land management across New South Wales, Australia

شهر رشت، به عنوان نمونه یک شهر ایرانی، از افراد متنوع و گوناگون با سنین، جنسیت­ها، توانایی‌های جسمی و پیشینه‌های قومی مختلف تشکیل‌شده‌است. بسیاری از سازوکارهای برنامه‌ریزی شهری جهان با پذیرش تنوع و گوناگونی ساکنان شهری به سوی به‌کارگیری رویکردهای تنوع‌گرا و گنجاندن تنوع‌ها و تفاوت‌ها در فرایندهای برنامه‌ریزی شهری تغییرمسیر‌داده‌اند، اما سازوکار برنامه‌ریزی شهری کشور ایران و به تبع آن ‌شهر رشت در سایۀ تفکرات مدرنیسم همچنان با شهروندان به صورت نوعی واحد برخوردمی‌کنند و تفاوت‌های سنی، جنسیتی، قومی ‌‌نژادی، مذهبی، تفاوت در توانایی جسمی و در نتیجه تفاوت در نیازهای شهروندان در شهر را درنظرنمی‌گیرند. نظریه و عمل برنامه‌­ریزی به تازگی از ضرورت خدمات‌رسانی به طیف متنوعی از نیازها و ترجیحات آگاه‌تر ‌شده‌ و برنامه‌ریزی برای تنوع و تفاوت، تفسیری اجتماعی از برنامه‌ریزی برای شهرها و رویکردی است که نیازهای گروه‌های اجتماعی مختلف را درنظرمی‌گیرد. در کشورمان با خلأ مطالعات دانشگاهی در زمینۀ معرفی رویکرد برنامه­­ریزی برای تنوع و تفاوت و شناسایی عوامل مؤثر بر به کارگیری و تحقق آن روبه روهستیم. از این رو هدف از این مطالعه معرفی اجمالی این رویکرد و شناسایی عوامل مؤثر بر تحقق آن در شهر رشت بر مبنای دیدگاه­­های صاحب نظران برنامه­ریزی این شهر است. با توجه به نوع مسئله و جامعۀ آماری تحقیق از روش نظریۀ زمینه‌ای نظام­مند استفاده شده‌است. برای گردآوری داده­ها ابتدا پرسشنامۀ نیمه­ساختاریافته­ای طراحی و سپس با استفاده از روش نمونه­گیری هدفمند از نوع گلوله­برفی با 10 نفر از صاحب نظران برنامه­ریزی این شهر مصاحبه­های عمیق انجام‌­شد. داده­های متنی حاصل از مصاحبه­‌ها با استفاده از فرایند کدگذاری و روش تحلیل سطر به سطر در نرم افزار مکس کیو دی اِی تحلیل شدند. درنهایت عوامل مؤثر بر تحقق الگوی برنامه­ریزی شهری تنوع­گرا در قالب 17 مقولۀ اصلی و 59 مقولۀ فرعی و روابط میان آنها شناسایی شدند و مدل پارادایمی الگوی برنامه­ریزی شهری تنوع­گرا با تأکید بر شرایط علّی، زمینه­ای، مداخله­گر، پیامدی و راهبردهای تحقق این الگو ارائه ­شد. نتایج نشان‌می­دهد طیف گسترده­ای از زیرساخت های اندیشه­ای، سیاستی، ابزاری، سازمانی، قانونی، مالی، آموزشی و فرهنگی ­اجتماعی در تحقق این رویکرد مؤثرند که شناسایی و تبیین آنها می­تواند راهنمای تصمیم‌گیری‌ها و اقدامات آیندۀ مراجع برنامه‌ریزی شهری کشورمان باشد.

Smallholder farmers can adapt to climate variability and change through sustainable land management (SLM) practices that help to offset the negative impacts at farm level. However, use of these practices as adaptation strategy remains low in Ethiopia in general and the study sites in particular. This study aimed at examining the factors that determine farmers’ decision to use SLM measures and to quantify the impact of the practices on crop productivity at household and plot level. The study was based on household- and plot-level primary data and employed nearest-neighbor matching technique to quantify the impact of using the practices on value of production at household level and plot level. The results revealed that households that implemented SLM practices within the period (2004–2009) experienced a 24.1% higher value of production over non-users in 2016. Similarly, plots that received SLM measures within the period (2004–2009) experienced a 28.6% increase in value of production in 2016. The study also made further analysis at plot level using continuous treatment effects in order to take into account the number of years a plot has been under the practice. The result showed plots with SLM structure that are maintained for at least 6 years have a positive increase in value of production at the end of the 6th year, while those that received the practices recently or those that lacked continuous maintenance did not experience a statistically significant increase in value of production. The result also showed marginal benefit of sustaining the SLM practices increases over time at an increasing rate. The implication is that use of SLM measures and maintenance of the structures are crucial to reap significant benefits from the practices. Although value of production increases given the SLM practices, implementation is labor intensive and there is trade-off with other agricultural activities. Therefore, policy measures are required to incentivize implementation and maintenance of the SLM structures.

How farmers' characteristics influence spontaneous spreading of stone bunds in the Highlands of Ethiopia: a case study in the Girar Jarso woreda 37Chapter 4Adapting the current mass mobilization approach in Ethiopia to enhance its impact on sustainable land management: 57

Suboptimal land management practices are degrading soils and undermining food production. Sustainable land management (SLM) practices can improve soil and enhance yields. This study identifies variations in SLM uptake, characterising farmers most likely to use SLM practices, identifying when it makes economic sense for farmers to implement particular SLM practices and how long it takes before benefits exceed costs. Using questionnaire data from farmers in western Kenya, we undertake a cost–benefit analysis and analyse determinants of SLM practice use. SLM implementation varied between counties and SLM practice(s), with household and farm characteristics, and access to assets and advice, playing a key role. SLM practices with high upfront and maintenance costs (e.g., terraces and agroforestry) offer low benefit‐to‐cost ratios for individual farmers who must also wait many years to break even on their investments. Nevertheless, over the policy‐relevant time horizon considered (to 2030), Net present value can be positive. Simple SLM practices (manuring and intercropping) have low input costs and offer high benefit to cost ratios, providing a positive net present value up to 2030. Findings suggest that simple practices should be prioritised within policy to improve soil and increase yields. These should be supported by subsidies or other economic measures, facilitating uptake of practices such as agroforestry, which can provide wider societal benefits (e.g., improved water retention and carbon sequestration). Economic mechanisms could be augmented with support for agricultural innovation systems, improved monitoring of land management and yield relationships, and investment in climate and soil information services.

While climate change urges cities to define appropriate strategies for climate adaptation, urban planning practices are still unable to encompass a broader understanding of hydraulic hazards and to exploit the mitigation potential of nature-based solutions (NBS) for stormwater management. This inability is particularly deep in the Italian context, where the integration of climate adaptation strategies within urban planning is very limited; thus, one of the planner’s overriding needs is to determine where NBS can be most effective. The objective of this paper is to identify key drivers and tools for the introduction of hydrological resilience assessments and sustainable storm water management in urban planning practices, as a contribution to climate adaptation strategies. Through a case study in the city of Bari, the paper proposes a method for identifying the most suitable urban areas for implementing NBS, i.e., areas where NBS are able to intercept runoff. On the other hand, the same approach allows one to evaluate in advance the impact of urban planning choices, or rather of the planned land use change. Finally, the planning tools that may favor the adoption of a NBS approach in urban planning are analyzed, with particular reference to the territorial landscape plan of the Apulia region and urban regeneration plans.

Teaching and Learning Guide for: Sustainable Development and Environmental Justice in African Cities

Introduction: Urban spatial planning is critical for the development of sustainable and livable cities. However, traditional planning methods often face challenges in handling complex planning scenarios and large-scale data.Methods: This paper introduces UrbanGenoGAN, a novel algorithm that integrates generative adversarial networks (GANs), genetic optimization algorithms (GOAs), and geographic information system (GIS) to address these challenges. Leveraging the generative power of GANs, the optimization capabilities of genetic algorithms, and the spatial analysis capabilities of GIS, UrbanGenoGAN is designed to generate optimized urban plans that cater to various urban planning challenges. Our methodology details the algorithm’s design and integration of its components, data collection and preprocessing, and the training and implementation processes.Results: Through rigorous evaluation metrics, comparative analysis with existing methodologies, and case studies, the proposed algorithm demonstrates significant improvement in urban planning outcomes. The research also explores the technical and practical considerations for implementing UrbanGenoGAN, including scalability, computational efficiency, data privacy, and ethical considerations.Discussion: The findings suggest that the integration of advanced machine learning and optimization techniques with spatial analysis offers a promising approach to enhancing decision-making in urban spatial planning. This work contributes to the growing field of AI applications in urban planning and paves the way for more efficient and sustainable urban development.

The debate on sustainable development emphasizes the importance of integrating environmental policy into other policy sectors. It is increasingly recognized that such integration is needed at the national, regional and local levels of governance. Hence the Environmental Policy Integration (EPI) principle has been proposed, which is defined as “the incorporation of the environmental objectives into all stages of policy making in non-environmental policy sectors, with the recognition of this goal as the guiding principle for the planning and execution of policy”. Currently EPI is agreed upon in a number of EU commitments and is receiving the attention of urban planning scholars. The achievability of EPI, however, has not yet been well studied, particularly in the urban planning context, while its implementation often seems to be hindered by organizational fragmentation. This thesis assesses the potential role of EPI as an operational principle for achieving sustainable urban development in Europe. It addresses the scientific premises of EPI and the current knowledge gaps in applying it in the urban planning domain. The research combines theoretical and empirical dimensions. The theoretical dimension includes evidence of the current knowledge gap regarding the integration of environmental aspects into urban planning and the emergence of EPI as a promising perspective in urban sustainability research and planning practice. This includes reflections on EPI’s definitions, interpretations and its different approaches. The empirical dimension of the thesis explores evidence regarding the EPI process in actual planning practices, with an assessment of the relevance of different EPI approaches. Based on the exploration of case studies within different planning contexts, the empirical research provides insights into the key challenges and barriers to achieving EPI in urban planning and identifies key success factors for local governments addressing specific environmental issues in urban land-use plans. The key objective of the thesis is, therefore, to explore the responses of planning systems to the current EPI challenges, with the twin goals of gaining insight into the role of EPI in integrating environmental concerns in urban land-use planning processes and of identifying the most promising approaches for achieving EPI. The thesis provides an answer about the potential benefits of, among other approaches, a communicative approach to achieve EPI in urban planning practice.

Predicting multiple land use transitions under rapid urbanization and implications for land management and urban planning: The case of Zhanggong District in central China

Synergizing global tools to monitor progress towards land degradation neutrality: Trends.Earth and the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies sustainable land management database

The relationship between farmers' education and the adoption of Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices remains unclear in the literature. Additionally, research on the mechanisms underlying this relationship remains limited. This study investigates how farmers' education influences SLM adoption intensity, focusing on mediating factors of trust in extension agents' (EAs') advice, risk aversion, and positive belief in SLM practices. Data from 480 farmers in southeast Nigeria were analyzed using multivariable regression analyzes and Baron and Kenny's mediation approach. We report two key findings: (1) education significantly increases SLM adoption intensity ( p < 0.05). A threshold effect is observed at the adoption of three or more practices ( p < 0.1), indicating that higher education levels are associated with a greater likelihood of adopting multiple SLM practices; (2) farmers' trust in EAs' advice and positive belief in SLM practices mediate the relationship between education and SLM adoption intensity ( p < 0.05), highlighting the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship. Overall, this study provides insights to guide policies for promoting SLM practices among rural farmers.