Sustainable Planning Strategies for Rural Land Use Using a Hybridized Technique and GIS: Application to An Nijād Village in Ibb City, Yemen

Abstract

Sustainable rural planning is a continuous, multiparticipatory, large-scale process. Most rural areas in developing countries have sustainable characteristics. However, rural areas have been neglected due to the excessive focus on urban areas, resulting in an urban–rural gap that is difficult to overcome. Village planning is an important public policy instrument that is used to direct land-use planning and management. Therefore, it is an important tool for realizing sustainable development in rural areas. Based on the problems experienced by these villages and the goal of sustainable rural development, the study took An Nijād village, Yemen, as a case study. The study used a hybrid design approach, including qualitative and quantitative methods, such as questionnaire analysis along with GIS methods, and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The research cycle was implemented in various phases, including data collection, coding, and analysis. The results of the change matrix (2010–2020) have indicated that land use/land covers (LULC) classified were arable land (47.9%), Built-up area (11.5%), barren/bare land (8.3%), water body (0.3%), slop land (6.4%), mountains (22.1%), and roads (3.5%). This paper will create a comprehensive framework for the implementation and planning of rural areas at the regional level, considering the constraints of each region in terms of its ability to achieve realistic results on the planning and development of sustainable rural development strategies.