Sustainable Land Research Articles

Remote sensing analysis of spatiotemporal impacts of anthropogenic influence on mountain landscape ecology in Pir Chinasi national park

Mountain landscapes can be fragmented due to various human activities such as tourism, road construction, urbanization, and agriculture. It can also be due to natural factors such as flash floods, glacial lake outbursts, land sliding, and climate change such as rising temperatures, heavy rains, or drought.The study’s objective was to analyze the mountain landscape ecology of Pir Chinasi National Park under anthropogenic influence and investigate the impact of anthropogenic activities on the vegetation. This study observed spatiotemporal changes in vegetation due to human activities and associated climate change for the past 25 years (1995–2020) around Pir Chinasi National Park, Muzaffrabad, Pakistan. A structured questionnaire was distributed to 200 residents to evaluate their perceptions of land use and its effects on local vegetation. The findings reveal that 60% of respondents perceived spatiotemporal pressure on the park. On the other hand, the Landsat-oriented Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was utilized for the less than 10% cloud-covered images of Landsat 5, 7, and 8 to investigate the vegetation degradation trends of the study area. During the entire study period, the mean maximum NDVI was approximately 0.28 in 1995, whereas the mean minimum NDVI was − 2.8 in 2010. QGIS 3.8.2 was used for the data presentation. The impact of temperature on vegetation was also investigated for the study period and increasing temperature trends were observed. The study found that 10.81% (1469.08 km2) of the area experienced substantial deterioration, while 23.57% (3202.39 km2) experienced minor degradation. The total area of degraded lands was 34.38% (or 4671.47 km2). A marginal improvement in plant cover was observed in 24.88% of the regions, while 9.69% of the regions experienced a major improvement. According to the NDVI-Rainfall relationships, the area was found to be significantly impacted by human pressures and activities (r ≤ 0.50) driving vegetation changes covering 24.67% of the total area (3352.03 km2). The area under the influence of climatic variability and change (r ≥ 0.50 ≥ 0.90) accounted for 55.84% (7587.26 km2), and the area under both climatic and human stressors (r ≥ 0.50 < 0.70) was 64%. Sustainable land management practices of conservation tillage, integrated pest management, and agroforestry help preserve soil health, water quality, and biodiversity while reducing erosion, pollution, and the degradation of natural resources. landscape restoration projects of reforestation, wetland restoration, soil erosion control, and the removal of invasive species are essential to achieve land degradation neutrality at the watershed scale.

Management of sustainable land use projects in accordance with EU requirements

The purpose of the study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the management of sustainable land use development projects in Ukraine and the EU countries and to develop recommendations for improving Ukrainian practices in accordance with the requirements of the European Union. The methodology was based on a systematic approach and included the analysis of statistical data, an expert survey, and the calculation of an integral index of compliance with EU requirements. The study focused on three key aspects: restoration of degraded land, introduction of organic farming, and water management. The results revealed that Ukraine is lagging behind in all the parameters under study. In the area of restoration of degraded land, it was found that the area of restored land in Ukraine (8.4% of the total area of degraded land) is almost twice less than the average of the EU countries studied (16.8%). Investments in land restoration in Ukraine (310 EUR/ha) are only 39% of the EU average (792 EUR/ha). The analysis of the development of organic farming showed that the share of organic land in Ukraine (1.1% of the total agricultural area) is almost 6 times lower than the average for the EU countries under study (6.7%). The number of certified organic producers in Ukraine (3.2 per 100,000 population) is 6.4 times lower than the average for EU countries. In the field of water management, it was found that the irrigation efficiency in Ukraine (60%) is significantly lower than the EU average (77.4%), and the share of land with drip irrigation in Ukraine (5.2%) is 3.5 times lower than the EU average (18%). The calculation of the integral index of compliance with EU requirements showed that Ukraine (56 points) significantly lags behind the average of the EU countries studied (82.4 points). Based on the identified differences and successful practices of EU countries, a set of recommendations has been developed to improve the management of sustainable land use projects in Ukraine. Key recommendations include the development of a comprehensive national strategy, the creation of specialised financing funds, the introduction of economic incentives, the modernisation of monitoring systems, the harmonisation of standards with the EU, and large-scale educational campaigns. The study emphasises the need to significantly improve approaches to managing sustainable land use projects in Ukraine to bring them closer to EU standards and ensure efficient use of land resources

Modernizing Land Survey Techniques in East Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

As East Africa undergoes rapid urbanization and economic growth, the need for modernized land survey techniques has become critical. Traditional methods are insufficient for keeping up with the evolving landscape. This article explores the adoption of advanced technologies such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and drone technology in land surveying. These innovations promise enhanced accuracy, efficiency, and comprehensive data collection, benefiting urban planning, infrastructure development, and environmental management. However, the transition is challenged by infrastructural deficits, high costs, limited technical expertise, and outdated regulatory frameworks. This article discusses the current technological advancements, challenges, and opportunities for improvement, emphasizing the need for investments in infrastructure, public-private partnerships, capacity building, and regulatory reforms. Vital information were sorted from recent related published database and utilised in writing this paper. Modernizing land survey techniques in East Africa holds significant potential to support sustainable development and effective land management practices. Keywords: Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, Drone Technology, Land Survey Modernization, East Africa Development

Dynamic interplay of soil parameters and CO2 sequestration in Solanku-runi Freshwater Pond Wetland, Tamil Nadu, India

This study investigates the dynamic interplay between soil temperature, pH levels, and CO2 sequestration across ten sample sites over a four-month periods from January to April 2018 in Solankuruni freshwater pond wetland in Madurai District, Tamil Nadu, India. The soil temperature fluctuations, ranging from 31°C to 44°C, reveal distinct site-specific patterns, with sample site six consistently exhibiting the highest temperatures. Soil temperature exhibited notable variations, influenced by factors such as soil composition, and microclimate variations. Regarding pH level, the range between 6.23 to 8.1 display variability influenced by factors like soil composition and anthropogenic influences, study site five consistently leading in pH levels. Soil CO2 sequestration varying from 1517.857 g/m² to 3357.143 g/m², highlight the influence of soil microbial activity, vegetation cover, and soil moisture content, ninth site consistently showing the highest sequestration rates. The findings reveal substantial variations in factors such as soil composition, vegetation type, microclimate, and anthropogenic activities, prominence the intricate nature of soil dynamics. These results stress the importance of understanding the interconnections among soil properties to create effective climate change mitigation strategies. Moreover, the research provides valuable understanding of the intricate connections between soil properties, emphasizing the necessity for region-specific studies to inform comprehensive environmental policies. Understanding these dynamic soil processes is crucial for advancing sustainable land management practices and boosting soil carbon sequestration in wetland ecosystems.

Effects of Urbanization on Soil Quality in the Rural‒Urban Gradient of Bengaluru, India

Understanding the impact of urbanization on soil quality is crucial for sustainable land management practices. This study was conducted in Bengaluru, India, to estimate the soil quality index (SQI) under different rural‒urban gradient (RUG) zones. Twenty-four sampling sites were identified along the RUG, and soil samples were collected monthly over five months during the October to February of 2020-2021. The soil quality assessment involved selecting the minimum data set (MDS) via principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation, scoring soil indicators, and combining these scores to create the soil quality index (SQI). PCA was used to identify key soil properties, which included microbial biomass carbon (MBC), SOC, N, manganese (Mn), and urease for different RUG zones derived from the MDS. The rural zones had the highest SQI (0.57), followed by the peri-urban (0.47 and 0.48) and urban (0.45 and 0.47) zones. These findings emphasize the importance of sustainable land management practices to preserve and boost soil quality across diverse regions, particularly in the face of rapid urbanization and industrialization.

Herbaceous Vegetation in Slope Stabilization: A Comparative Review of Mechanisms, Advantages, and Practical Applications

Shallow slope instability poses a significant ecological threat, often leading to severe environmental degradation. While vegetation, particularly woody plants, is commonly employed in slope stabilization, herbaceous vegetation offers distinct and underexplored advantages. This paper reviews the role of herbaceous plants in enhancing slope stability, analyzing their mechanical and ecological mechanisms. Through an extensive review of the literature, this review challenges the prevailing view that woody vegetation is superior for slope stabilization, finding that herbaceous plants can be equally or more effective under certain conditions. The key findings include the identification of specific root parameters and species that contribute to soil reinforcement and erosion control. The review highlights the need for further research on optimizing plant species selection and management practices to maximize the slope stabilization effects. These insights have practical implications for ecological slope engineering, offering guidance on integrating herbaceous vegetation into sustainable land management strategies.

Exploring the position of farmers within the European green transition: transformation for whom?

Food systems have been framed as a “wicked problem” due to the complex socio-ecological impacts they foster, ranging from contributing nearly a quarter of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions to a myriad of social impacts (e.g., health, food safety, and food security). In the European green transition for food systems, multiple actors are involved. However, farmers play a unique and critical role as agricultural land managers and navigators of social, political, and environmental factors. Using cover cropping and intercropping as examples, we illustrate the complexities arising when decision-making and governance at multiple levels lead to tradeoffs and unexpected consequences at the farm scale. Amid complexity, we propose a conceptual model to address the question: how is an agricultural green transition best fostered? We find that changes are incremental, transformative or both depending on the level of analysis. Additionally, incoherence in agronomic recommendations across academic disciplines and policy agendas creates challenges at the farm scale that trickle up and can thwart sustainable agricultural land use. Although transdisciplinarity and knowledge production with farmers through co-creation are essential for food system transformation and can be part of the solution, it is crucial to examine the nature of change processes and to consider how knowledge and innovation are adopted. By balancing top-down and bottom-up approaches and distributing burden from the farm scale to governance and food systems, a more transformative green transition for European food systems with coherence across multiple agroecological objectives could be achieved.

Comprehensive Ecological Functional Zoning: A Data-Driven Approach for Sustainable Land Use and Environmental Management—A Case Study in Shenzhen, China

A comprehensive approach to ecological functional zoning in the Shenzhen region of China is presented in this study. Through the integration of advanced geospatial analysis tools, multiple data sources, and sophisticated statistical techniques, different ecological functions have been identified and categorized based on a comprehensive set of indicators and spatial analysis techniques. The three-level zoning framework established in this study offers policymakers, urban planners, and environmental managers a nuanced understanding of the region’s environmental characteristics, and highlights areas of ecological significance that warrant special attention and protection. It has been demonstrated that the data-driven approach to ecological functional zoning is effective in delineating distinct ecological zones within the study area. This study’s findings carry significant implications for future land use planning, conservation efforts, and sustainable development practices in the Shenzhen region. In essence, this study contributes to the broader discourse on ecological planning and environmental management by providing a systematic and data-driven approach to delineating ecological functional zones in urbanizing regions.

Conservation of the Mount Bawakaraeng Water Resources Area as a Form of Water Resources Management Through Sustainable and Environmentally Sound Development Strategies

Objective: To assess the impact of land cover change on the problems of erosion, sedimentation, flooding, and water scarcity in the Jeneberang watershed and to formulate comprehensive policy and strategy recommendations for the conservation and sustainable management of water resources in the Mount Bawakaraeng area. Metode: This research use of method of conducting legal research known as normative – empirical method, which combine aspects of normative law with data or empirical components. This method is also used to learn how normative legal provisions (laws) are applied to each specific legal event that takes place in community. Results: The change in land use has led to an increase in erosion, sedimentation, flooding, and water scarcity in the Jeneberang Watershed. Deforestation and forest degradation in the upstream area of the Jeneberang watershed have caused various problems related to unsustainable water resource management. Conclusion: the need for a comprehensive and integrated approach in water resources management in the Mount Bawakaraeng area, guided by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the principles of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). This includes: Strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks for forest and land conservation, Promoting sustainable land management practices among local communities, Improving coordination and collaboration among stakeholders in watersheds, Improving monitoring, data collection, and evidence-based decision-making, Providing alternative livelihood opportunities to reduce pressure on natural resources.

Spatio-temporal assessment of land use and land cover dynamics in Urmia lake basin of Iran: A bi-directional approach using optical and radar data on the Google Earth Engine platform

Sustainable development, a cornerstone in responsible land resource management, occupies a critical role in global efforts to balance economic progress with ecological preservation. This research explores the intricate dynamics of sustainable development and land resource management in the Lake Urmia watershed, northwestern Iran, with a specific focus on Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) alterations. Leveraging cutting-edge methodologies within the Google Earth Engine (GEE) framework, the study employs the Random Forest (RF) model, and multi-sensor satellite data to achieve meticulous LULC classification from the years 2016 to 2020.This strategy incorporates satellite images from Sentinel-1 (S1), Sentinel-2 (S2), coupled with ancillary data, and the implementation of the RF algorithm. It highlighted the intricate synergy between optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data for LULC classification in the Lake Urmia watershed. The Overall Accuracy (OA) values ranging from 88.28 % to 92.00 % affirmed the robustness of the RF model, demonstrating its potential for research objectives. In addition, Dynamic World, a near real-time global dataset, was applied to the study area, provides a convenient view to detect changes from the years 2016 to 2023, while enabling comparison with the widely used RF algorithm in past studies. Notably, this study goes beyond methodological developments to examine the concrete consequences of the observed changes. The decline in water bodies within the Urmia Lake basin and the parallel expansion of cultivated lands underscore the profound impact of human activities, particularly agricultural practices, on the ecological equilibrium. As we navigate the intricate terrain of sustainable development, this research serves as a clarion call for remote sensing approaches to monitor and manage land resources, emphasizing the delicate balance between economic growth and ecological preservation.

Assessing the sustainability of small hydropower sites in the Citarum Watershed, Indonesia employing CA-Markov and SWAT models

ABSTRACT This study investigates the sustainability of potential small hydropower sites within the Citarum Watershed in West Java, Indonesia. The Citarum River, with a catchment area of 6,090 km2, plays a crucial role in regional water supply and hydroelectric power generation. However, environmental challenges such as deforestation, land use changes, and sedimentation pose significant risks. We employed the CA-Markov model integrated with IDRISI TerrSet software and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool to predict future land use changes and assess water supply, soil erosion, and sedimentation impacts for 2030 and 2040. The analysis revealed diverse trends in water yield across different catchment areas, with some regions showing increased water availability and others facing declines. High erosion and sedimentation rates were identified as critical issues affecting hydropower efficiency. The study highlights the need for comprehensive watershed management strategies, including reforestation, sustainable land management practices, and sediment management, to enhance the sustainability of small hydropower projects. Our findings underscore the importance of integrating environmental considerations into hydropower development to ensure the ecological integrity of the Citarum Watershed.

Analysis Of Land Use And Land Cover Changes In Port Harcourt Metropolis Using Geospatial Techniques

The study examined Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Port Harcourt Metropolis Using Geospatial Techniques from 1990 to 2020. The study made use of geospatial and longitudinal data sourced from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), employing Google Earth Engine to analyse Landsat and Google Earth Imagery of the area. Utilizing satellite imagery with a spatial resolution of 30 meters by 30 meters, supplemented with high-resolution Google Earth imagery, the study offers an extensive concept of the dynamic changes in land use in the four epochs of 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020. The methodology entails processing and analysing satellite images to identify and classify different land use and land cover types as well as tracking their changes over time. This technique allows for precise mapping and assessment of the trend, extent, rate, and spatial patterns of land use changes. The study employed supervised classification, change detection, and temporal analysis, to ensure robust and accurate results. ANOVA statistics was deployed to test the stated hypothesis for the study. The findings revealed a drastic reduction in land use coverage for the various land use classes in the epochs studied. Open spaces showed a reduction from 62,262.2ha (58.92%) in 1990 to 41,832ha (39.32%) in 2020; farmland reduced from 21,172.5ha (20.04%) in 1990 to 1,474.65ha (1.4%) in 2020; built-up area increased from 9,006.03ha (8.52%) in 1990 to 41,502.8 (39.28%) in 2022; water bodies increased from 1,529.73ha (1.45%) in 1990 to 3,424.32ha (3.24%) in 2020. These changes have profound implications for environmental sustainability, urban planning, and resource management in the area. The study concludes that there has been substantial land use and land cover changes in Port Harcourt metropolis, driven primarily by urbanization. Thus, it is recommended that the government implement stricter urban planning and sustainable land management practices to mitigate the impact of rapid land use and land cover changes in Port Harcourt

Monitoring soil carbon in smallholder carbon projects: insights from Kenya

Voluntary carbon market schemes facilitate funding for projects promoting sustainable land management practices to sequester carbon in natural sinks such as biomass and soil, while also supporting agricultural production. The effectiveness of VCM schemes relies on accurate measurement mechanisms that can directly attribute carbon accumulation to project activities. However, measuring carbon sequestration in soils has proven to be difficult and costly, especially in fragmented smallholdings predominant in global agriculture. The cost and accuracy limitations of current methods to monitor soil organic carbon (SOC) limit the participation of smallholder farmers in global carbon markets, where they could potentially be compensated for adopting sustainable farming practices that provide ecosystem benefits. This study evaluates nine different approaches for SOC accounting in smallholder agricultural projects. The approaches involve the use of proximal and remote sensing, along with process models. Our evaluation centres on stakeholder requirements for the Measurement, Reporting, and Verification system, using the criteria of accuracy, level of standardisation, costs, adoptability, and the advancement of community benefits. By analysing these criteria, we highlight opportunities and challenges associated with each approach, presenting suggestions to enhance their applicability for smallholder SOC accounting. The contextual foundation of the research is a case study on the Western Kenya Soil Carbon Project. Remote sensing shows promise in reducing costs for direct and modelling-based carbon measurement. While it is already being used in certain carbon market applications, transparency is vital for broader integration. This demands collaborative work and investment in infrastructure like spectral libraries and user-friendly tools. Balancing community benefits against the detached nature of remote techniques is essential. Enhancing information access aids farmers, boosting income through improved soil and crop productivity, even with remote monitoring. Handheld sensors can involve smallholders, given consistent protocols. Engaging the community in monitoring can cut project costs, enhance agricultural capabilities, and generate extra income.

Measuring and monitoring tree cover and plant canopy height in Pune city, India

Global datasets often fall short in estimating tree cover areas outside the forest tracts, particularly in urban areas. This limitation poses a challenge for accurately estimating tree cover outside forests (ToF) and understanding their contribution to ecosystem services. In the context of increasing population pressure and unsustainable urbanization in Indian cities, regional-level tree cover and canopy height estimations are crucial for evaluating the impact of ToF on various ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, climate change adaptation, biodiversity hotspots, groundwater recharge, soil conservation, flood control, urban heat mitigation, and psychological and emotional well-being. This technical note outlines a rapid and cost-effective methodology for assessing tree canopy cover and height, specifically tailored for ToF estimation, offering a valuable tool for addressing these socio-urban environmental challenges and enabling sustainable land use planning.

Mechanical Inter- and Intra-Row Weed Control for Small-Scale Vegetable Producers

Small-scale vegetable producers often do not have modern mechanical equipment; as a result, a significant amount of inter-row and all intra-row weeding is performed manually. The development of small, affordable machines increases the competitiveness of organic vegetable production, improves sustainable land use, and reduces dependence on unwanted herbicides. In this study, a simple modular lightweight e-hoe with the capability for both inter-row (1st degree of freedom) and intra-row (2nd degree of freedom) weeding was proposed. The e-hoe uses battery-powered in-wheel drives to move the platform (3rd degree of freedom) and additional drives to operate the tools. The e-hoe was evaluated in a small greenhouse using three different tools: a traditional hoe, an adjusted rounded hoe, and an adjusted spring tine narrow hoe. The experiments were conducted at four different tool rotation speeds, using specially designed 3D-printed models for crops and weeds for evaluation. The results indicate that the efficiency of the e-hoe rates up to 95% when the right tool design and rotation speed are combined. Based on the battery capacity, the machine can be operated for approximately 3.7 h, enabling the weeding of about 3050 plants.

Woody plant communities in different land management types and implications on mountain biodiversity conservation in central Ethiopia

The prominence of mountains as social-ecological systems and the need for sustainable mountain development have increasingly been recognized in global agendas and international conventions. This study aims to investigate woody plant diversity, composition, and population structure in two different land management types: lands managed by the Wanchi Ecotourism Association (WETA) and non-WETA members at the slopes of Wanchi Mountain. Trees and shrubs with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 5 cm were recorded from 20 m by 20 m plots and those with DBH<5 cm were counted within sub-plots of 10 m by 10 m. Tree seedlings were recorded from five 3 m by 3 m sub-sub-plots. The quasi-Poisson generalized linear model with a log-link function was used to analyze the richness of woody species and their association with environmental variables. Non-metric multidimensional scaling with Bray-Curtis distance in two-dimensional space was employed for the woody species composition. Tree species population structure was analyzed using tree diameter distribution classes. The study identified 104 woody plants belonging to 82 genera and 52 families. Woody species richness in WETA-managed lands is significantly (P=0.009) greater than that of non-WETA-managed lands. The study found that woody species richness significantly declined with increasing anthropogenic disturbance (P<0.001) and slope (P<0.001) in both WETA and non-WETA-managed land. Woody species richness also showed negative associations with aspect. The tree species in both the land management types revealed nearly similar population structures. The study highlighted the importance of sustainable land management practices such as ecotourism in areas of significant natural endowments like that of the Wanchi Mountain. Such practices can guide more sustainable mountain biodiversity conservation while realizing appropriate local livelihood improvement strategies.

Soil characteristics and available nutrient status of surface and sub-surface soils of KVK, bellampalli, mancherial for sustainable land use planning

Soil characteristics and available nutrient status of surface and sub-surface soils of KVK, bellampalli, mancherial for sustainable land use planning

Improving the performance of evidential belief function model using five machine learning models in earth fissure susceptibility mapping

The frequency and occurrence of earth fissures threaten human settlements, infrastructure, and agricultural lands in many parts of the globe. This natural hazard has particularly posed great challenge in the North, Central, and Eastern parts of the Najaf Abad Basin of Iran. This paper presents a comparative analysis of machine learning algorithms for earth fissure susceptibility assessment, and involves the creation of an earth fissure database by selecting and validating 200 fissure locations. To improve the accuracy of the fissure locations, various geographic data sources, such as Google Earth images, field surveys, and GPS measurements, were employed. The locations were divided into training and validation sets based on sixteen conditioning factors for finding the earth fissure susceptible zones using EBF (Evidential belief function), EBF – Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), EBF – Function Tree (FT), EBF – Alternating decision tree (ADtree), EBF – Adaptive Boosting (AdaBoost), EBF – Random SubSpace (RSS), EBF – Naive Bayes Tree (NBTree) models. The results show that earth fissures occur in greater concentrations where groundwater levels are lowest, and their prevalence is closely associated to both agricultural activities and the presence of clay, clayey sand, and silty clay soils. Susceptibility analysis results revealed that 15–21 % agricultural dependent population falls under the very high susceptibility risk zone in and around the major cities of the Najaf Abad region. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that the EBF-RSS algorithm has higher accuracy (>99 %) compared to other algorithms (>85 %) in training and validation phases for earth fissure susceptibility prediction. Our findings emphasise the need to prioritise these susceptible areas for sustainable land and water management strategies and implement effective measures to mitigate the impact of earth fissures. Our study also advances our knowledge on geospatial analysis and earth fissures-related hazard assessment by applying five machine learning algorithms that shows spatial similarity in susceptibility categories with splendid accuracy performance.

Patterns of change, driving forces and future simulation of LULC in the Fuxian Lake Basin based on the IM-RF-Markov-PLUS framework

Studying land use and land cover (LULC) patterns, identifying driving forces, and simulating future scenarios are vital for grasping the complex connection between human actions and the environment. This helps in shaping sustainable land management strategies and preparing for the impacts of climate change. However, there is a necessity for a comprehensive system modeling framework that can accurately capture spatial and temporal changes in LULC, analyze driving mechanisms, and provide an integrated analysis of future simulations. In this paper, a comprehensive IM-RF-Markov-PLUS analysis framework is developed, focusing on the Fuxian Lake Basin (FLB) as a study area. The study aims to achieve accurate prediction of LULC by combining the microscopic LULC change trend and the contribution of macroscopic driving forces. The results show that: (1) The IM-RF-Markov-PLUS framework can explore the change patterns and driving mechanisms of LULC in the FLB, and accurately predict the LULC in the FLB. Compared with the PLUS model, its accuracy is improved by 2 %. (2) IM analysis reveals that LULC transformation in the FLB is both general and specific. Although the area of grassland, buildings, roads and structures converted to desert and bare land is minimal, it shows relatively tendentious and specific change characteristics. (3) Different land types are significantly affected by driving factors, with the expansion of LULCs is constrained by major factors. The distance to the lake has the most significant impact on the distribution of garden land, while the primary road has the greatest impact on the distribution of forestland. (4) Under different scenarios, the spatial heterogeneity of LULC patterns is obvious. In 2035, under baseline and economic development scenarios, cultivated land will decrease, while other LULC types will increase. Under the cultivated land protection scenario, cultivated land is protected, with an increase of 5.85 %. Under the ecological protection scenario, there is an increase in ecological land. The largest increase is in forestland, which increases by a total of 3.46 %. The ecological protection scenario presents a viable approach for ensuring the sustainable development of the FLB. The results of this paper may serve as a reliable foundation for implementing LULC strategies in the FLB and offer guidance for crafting sustainable development regulations at the regional level.

Strategies for Land Economic Development in South Delhi District

This research paper examines the land economic development strategies in South Delhi, focusing on their impact on the socio-economic and spatial dynamics of the region. South Delhi, a diverse and economically vibrant district within the National Capital Region of India, presents a unique case study to explore how tailored land use policies and economic planning can foster sustainable growth. Using a mixed-method approach, this study integrates qualitative analysis of policy documents, stakeholder interviews, and quantitative assessment of economic indicators to analyze land use changes, economic transformations, and policy effectiveness from 2011 to 2021. The analysis spans both macro and micro levels, investigating transformations in key areas like Mehrauli, Lado Sarai, and Aya Nagar. Findings highlight significant shifts in land use from agricultural to residential and commercial purposes, driven by rapid urbanization, infrastructure development, and policy reforms. While certain strategies have effectively promoted economic growth, challenges such as environmental degradation, congestion, uneven policy enforcement, and socio- economic disparities persist. The study underscores the need for sustainable land use planning, improved infrastructure, stakeholder collaboration, and adaptive governance frameworks to balance economic growth with social equity and environmental sustainability The research offers comprehensive insights and practical recommendations for policymakers, urban planners, and stakeholders to optimize land economic development strategies in South Delhi, with implications for similar urban contexts globally. The study advocates for a holistic approach that integrates sustainable development, community engagement, and resilient policy frameworks to create livable and prosperous urban environments. Index Terms— Land Economic Development Strategies,South Delhi, Socio-Economic Dynamics ,Spatial Dynamics, Land Use Policies ,Economic Planning ,Sustainable Growth ,Mixed-Method Approach, Policy Documents, Stakeholder Interviews, Economic Indicators, Land Use Changes, Urbanization, Infrastructure Development ,Policy Reforms Environmental Degradation, Socio- Economic Disparities ,Sustainable Land Use Planning, Stakeholder Collaboration, Adaptive Governance, Urban Environments.