Sustainable Territorial Planning Research Articles

The Impact of Future Land Use Change on Carbon Emission and Its Optimization Strategy

Rapidly changing climate issues and increasingly severe carbon emissions are great challenges to the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality strategy. Analyzing the impact of future land use changes on carbon emissions can provide an important basis and reference for scientifically constructing a low-carbon and sustainable territorial spatial planning, as well as realizing the goal of the dual-carbon strategy. Based on land use data, agricultural production activity data, and energy consumption statistics, this study simulated the land use changes of the Yangtze River Delta region (YRDR) from 2030 to 2060 under the natural development (ND) scenario and sustainable development (SD) scenario by using the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model and analyzed the impacts of future land use changes on carbon emissions. The results showed that: (1) The land use simulation results obtained by using the PLUS model under the sustainable development scenario were highly consistent with the actual land use with an OA value of 97.0%, a Kappa coefficient of 0.952, and a FoM coefficient of 0.403; (2) Based on the simulated land use under the SD scenario from 2030 to 2060, the quantity of construction land was effectively controlled, and the spatial distributions of cropland and forests were found to dominate in the north and south of the Yangtze River, respectively; (3) Anhui Province was the major contributor (accounted for 49.5%) to the net carbon absorption by cropland while Zhejiang Province was the major contributor (accounted for 63.3%) to the net carbon absorption by forest in the YRDR during the period 2020–2060 under the SD scenario; (4) Carbon emissions from construction land were the main source of carbon emissions from land use in the YRDR during the period 2020–2060 with proportions higher than 99% under both the ND and SD development scenarios. These findings underscore the urgent need for the government to take measures to balance the relationships between cropland and ecological protection and economic development, which provides a reference for the optimization of land use structure and policy formulation in the future.

Territorial planning support tool for sustainable forest management in the Amazon

In forest management, it is crucial to ensure process efficiency to maintain economic viability, especially in native forests where timber volume varies due to the uneven distribution of commercially valuable species. This variability poses a challenge for harvest planning, as the inherent heterogeneity of these forests often results in inconsistent productivity. This study employs the SOTER-PA system, an algorithm-based tool utilizing a minimalist tabu search, to achieve a more homogeneous territorial planning structure for better utilization of natural resources and increased economic returns from forestry activities. The study area is the Tapajós National Forest in the state of Pará, with a forest inventory database covering 2,218.7 hectares and 28,369 trees across 93 species. After applying exclusion criteria and data processing, 8,644 trees were deemed suitable for harvest. The tests suggested a new organization of Work Units, enabling a more balanced income distribution among them, and delineating the areas to be exploited in each cutting cycle. The results show that SOTER-PA not only improves the equitable distribution of natural resources but also enhances economic productivity. This improvement is attributed to the more homogeneous and optimized distribution of high-value species like red cedar and purpleheart. Furthermore, when comparing the SOTER-PA generated parcels with conventional management, the parcels created by SOTER-PA were more homogeneous, with better productivity quality and lower standard deviation, indicating greater uniformity. Thus, the use of SOTER-PA proves to be an efficient alternative for optimizing sustainable forest management planning, offering a more effective method for sustainable territorial planning in native forests, providing both economic and environmental benefits.

Fixability–Flexibility Relations in Sustainable Territorial Spatial Planning in China: A Review from the Food–Energy–Water Nexus Perspective

Territorial spatial planning involves fixability and flexibility in different driving factors related to control and development orientation, and they play an important role in regional sustainable development, especially in developing countries such as China. With rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, China has been impacted by conflicts between development and protection in territorial space. To integrate the contradictions among different territorial spatial planning measures, planners and scholars have started to focus on studies regarding fixability–flexibility relationships and integration. However, the relationship between and integration of fixability and flexibility in territorial spatial planning have yet to be clearly summarised. This paper explores an innovative research direction for the fixability–flexibility relations in territorial spatial planning from a new perspective, the Food–Energy–Water Nexus, which is a dynamic and comprehensive framework for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) studies. This paper covers the existing research on fixability and flexibility in territorial spatial planning. Moreover, after summarising the conflicts of fixability and flexibility, the dialectical relationship between and the integration of fixability and flexibility are researched.

Mapeamento de zonas de potencial erosivo em uma bacia hidrográfica Brasileira: rumo a um planejamento territorial sustentável

Soil erosion is one of the greatest environmental problems in the 21st Century, mainly due to the economic, social, and environmental damages caused worldwide. Brazil is inserted within this context, where the implementation of strategies to support territorial planning aimed at soil conservation is urgently required. Thus, this work aimed to use geoenvironmental cartography techniques to map the potential erosive zones at the Gouveia stream watershed (Brotas, Brazil) based on geographic data systematized by geoprocessing. Parameters of geology, pedology, terrain shape, terrain slope, land use, and land cover were used and systematized in a GIS environment through mathematical operations and fuzzy inference to map the potential erosive zones. The results indicate that 63% of the basin consists of “High” and “Very High” potential areas for the erosion process, which requires an urgent need to implement management strategies and sustainable territorial planning. This approach can potentially contribute to the decision-making process in the study area and be applied in other watersheds worldwide.

SUSTAINABLE TERRITORIAL AND SPATIAL PLANNING IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RECOVERY OF UKRAINE - DEFINITIONS, PRINCIPLES, CRITERIA AND TASKS

The article is devoted to the issue of verification of the conceptual and categorical base of sustainable territorial and spatial planning in Ukraine in accordance with the European practice of long-term, systemic and perspective planning of the living space of society. The justified inevitability of the final integration of Ukraine into the Euro-Atlantic space after the repulsion of Russian aggression and the objective necessity of transition to European standards. The main problems of spatial development in Ukraine and directions for improvement of national territorial planning, formed on the eve of Russian aggression in February 2022, are listed. The formulated problem of the uncertainty of the conceptual and categorical apparatus of spatial planning in Ukraine, which consists in the fact that the concepts of «territorial planning», «territory planning», «regional planning», «district planning», «city planning», etc. are often intertwined, duplicate or replace one another one that is not quite correct. In some cases, they are used as synonyms, in others, on the contrary, in incompatible meanings that cannot be combined into a single system. There is a well-founded need to develop theoretical-methodological and methodical principles of territory planning, which requires, first of all, certain conceptual-terminological and conceptual certainty. The condition for its achievement is the balanced consideration, on the one hand, of not only European standards, but also European experience in the field of spatial planning, and on the other, general and regional spatial specifics of Ukraine. The main principles of long-term territorial and spatial planning developed in European practice are defined. The proposed concepts and terms are fixed in the official documents of the European Union and reflect the current aspects of sustainable spatial planning. Particular attention is paid to the parameters of sustainable spatial planning, which should be guided by the planning of the living space of a European-style society. The fundamental goals of sustainable spatial planning are given, which include: balanced socio-economic development of regions; improving the quality of life; responsible management of natural resources and environmental protection; rational land use. The conclusions substantiate the possibility of transforming the destructive consequences of Russian aggression into the possibility of comprehensive modernization of Ukraine's living space based on European principles of sustainable spatial planning, which, in turn, will facilitate and accelerate Ukraine's integration into the European Community.

Territorial Inequalities, Ecological and Material Footprints of the Energy Transition: Case Study of the Cantabrian-Mediterranean Bioregion

This study develops a methodology to assess the energy transition’s territorial, ecological and material impacts on regions. As a case study, the methodology is applied to the Cantabrian-Mediterranean Bioregion, a geographical area constituting eight autonomous communities located in the north of Spain. Two energy demand scenarios for 2030 and 2050 were assessed. The 2030 scenario is based on the Spanish government’s planning, and the 2050 scenario constitutes a net-zero emission economy based on electrification. Energy dependence between autonomous communities, energy and raw material needs, and availability are obtained for both scenarios. Results show a high imbalance between energy producer–consumer autonomous communities and an ecological and critical material deficit for the Bioregion. Two alternative scenarios are proposed, one based on self-sufficiency to ensure a balanced energy transition and another based on energy and material efficiency seeking that the ecological and critical material footprints do not surpass the planet’s carrying capacity. The indicators and methodology proposed can be easily replicated elsewhere and help develop more equitable and sustainable territorial planning strategies.

Evolution and Prediction of the Coupling Coordination Degree of Production–Living–Ecological Space Based on Land Use Dynamics in the Daqing River Basin, China

Located in China’s Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, the Daqing River Basin has a high economic development level. The natural and social conditions within the basin vary greatly, and the spatial configuration of the Production–Living–Ecological Space (PLES) between different sub-regions is unbalanced, with problems and contradictions in the functions of PLES becoming increasingly prominent. This study constructs a PLES classification system for the Daqing River Basin based on multi-period land use data, simulates the future land use evolution of the basin using the Patch-Generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model, calculates the coupling degree (CD) coupling coordination degree (CCD) of PLES from 1992 to 2020, and, under the natural trend development scenario (NT), cropland preservation development scenario (CP), and ecological preservation development scenario (EP) of 2030, quantitatively analyses the historical evolution and future direction of the three-life spatial. The results show that: (1) From 1992 to 2020, the area of living space in the Daqing River Basin has increased significantly, while the area of production space and ecological space has decreased significantly. Compared to NT, CP is beneficial to the maintenance of production space, while the EP is beneficial to the maintenance of ecological space. (2) Globally, the CD and the CCD of PLES in the Daqing River Basin show an increasing trend from 1992 to 2010 and a decreasing trend from 2010 to 2020. In 2030, the CD and the CCD of PLES of the three development scenarios decrease significantly compared to 2020; however, the decrease in CP is slight. (3) By region, from 1992 to 2020, the CCD of PLES in the western and eastern parts of the Daqing River Basin increases relatively more, while the central part increases slightly. Compared to 2020, the CCD of PLES in the central part of the Daqing River Basin is predicted to decrease significantly under NT and EP in 2030, while the decrease is slightly less under CP. In all three scenarios, there are some areas where the CCD of PLES increases in the western areas. This study highlights the internal variability of the spatial evolution of PLES in the basin and focuses on the impact of different future development scenarios on the spatial changes of PLES, which can offer an enlightenment for high-quality development and sustainable territorial spatial planning in the Daqing River Basin.

A Meta-Overview and Bibliometric Analysis of Resilience in Spatial Planning - the Relevance of Place-Based Approaches.

This study offers a literature review and bibliometric analysis aiming to enhance our understanding of the actual contribution of resilience approaches to spatial and territorial development and planning studies. Using citation link-based clustering and statistical text-mining techniques (in terms of prevalence of topics, over time, extraction of relevant terms, keywords frequencies), our study maps scientific domains that include the spatial dimension of resilience thinking. It offers a systematic assessment of modern approaches by connecting profoundly theoretical views to more instrumental and policy-oriented approaches. Firstly, the theoretical background of spatial resilience used in numerous studies in various fields is analysed from the viewpoint of the type of embedded resilience (engineering, ecological, social-ecological, economic, social etc.). Secondly, we review and discuss the significance of three main and consistent research directions in terms of different scales and political/institutional contexts that matter from the viewpoint of spatial and territorial planning. Our findings show that spatial resilience debates are far from being settled, as according to many scientists, resilience measurements are often based on technical-reductionist frameworks that cannot comprehensively reflect the complex systems and issues they address. Our conclusions highlight the necessity of a harmonized framework and integrated perspective on resilience in sustainable territorial planning and development, in both theoretical and empirical contexts.

Mapeamento dos Serviços Ecossistêmicos providos pela Área de Proteção Ambiental do Rio Paraíba do Sul

Abstract Ecosystem services (ES) are all the benefits provided by ecosystems essential to subsistence, human well-being, and economic development, and, consequently, their recognition is fundamental for sustainable territorial planning. To identify the priority ES provided by the APA of the Alluvial Plains of the Paraíba do Sul and Jaguari Rivers, a region fully integrated into the urban fabric of São José dos Campos (SP), a collaborative study was developed to obtain the environmental perception of location key-actors - public agents, researchers, and APA residents. The analysis was developed from interpreting maps of use and occupation of the territory and adaptation of the Rapid Participatory Diagnosis (RPD) methodology recommended in the TEEB Regional/Local context. The results reiterated the importance of the region, already legally protected, to ensure the local environmental quality and identified the priority ES: freshwater, photosynthesis, nutrient cycle, local microclimate, and regulation of water flows.

Snow Avalanche Assessment in Mass Movement-Prone Areas: Results from Climate Extremization in Relationship with Environmental Risk Reduction in the Prati di Tivo Area (Gran Sasso Massif, Central Italy)

Mass movements processes (i.e., landslides and snow avalanches) play an important role in landscape evolution and largely affect high mountain environments worldwide and in Italy. The increase in temperatures, the irregularity of intense weather events, and several heavy snowfall events increased mass movements’ occurrence, especially in mountain regions with a high impact on settlements, infrastructures, and well-developed tourist facilities. In detail, the Prati di Tivo area, located on the northern slope of the Gran Sasso Massif (Central Italy), has been widely affected by mass movement phenomena. Following some recent damaging snow avalanches, a risk mitigation protocol has been activated to develop mitigation activities and land use policies. The main goal was to perform a multidisciplinary analysis of detailed climatic and geomorphological analysis, integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) processing, to advance snow avalanche hazard assessment methodologies in mass movement-prone areas. Furthermore, this work could represent an operative tool for any geomorphological hazard studies in high mountainous environments, readily available to interested stakeholders. It could also provide a scientific basis for implementing sustainable territorial planning, emergency management, and loss-reduction measures.

Maintenance Management of Infrastructure Systems: Organizational Factors in Territorial Planning

The issue of the maintenance of the infrastructure systems (e.g., viaducts, roads, bridges and highways), built some decades ago, is increasingly becoming a central argument. Within this topic, the safety assessment represents a fundamental as well as basic analysis that underpins a sustainable territorial management of the infrastructure systems. In fact, many structures are often affected by functionality, aging or safety problems and need specific interventions to avoid undesirable impacts in terms of social implications. In addition, the reference stakeholders, in terms of institutions and public actors, play an important role in relation to both the administrative and economic planning procedures. The present study has the preliminary aim to illustrate some possible contributions and improvements to achieve a more sustainable territorial planning, especially for the maintenance of the infrastructure systems. In detail, the present preliminary investigation highlights the possible advantages deriving from the use of the technology (i.e., remote sensing technique by means of satellite data - Differential Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar “DInSAR”) within an analysis at territorial scale. Indeed, the activity of monitoring all the overall infrastructure system can represent a useful approach to have a territorial vision of the safety of the infrastructures and can lead to a more sustainable planning. In fact, the involvement of all the reference stakeholders, in relation to this specific territorial issue, can lead to a more organised administrative and economic process. Some preliminary results, shown through thematic maps using the Geographic Information System (GIS), are described for a case study in a sample area in Italy.

Earthquake-induced landslides susceptibility evaluation: A case study from the Abruzzo region (Central Italy)

Landslides are widespread natural phenomena that play an important role in landscape evolution and are responsible for several casualties and damages. Slope instability is linked to the combination of geological, geomorphological, and climatic factors with various triggering mechanisms; among these, seismic shaking can induce relevant changes in the landscape, leading to coseismic and post-seismic phenomena such as landslide events. The Abruzzo Region (Central Italy) is severely affected by Earthquake-Induced Landslides (EILs), linked to the geomorphological dynamics and the severe seismicity of the area. The distribution, mechanisms, and typology of landslides are strictly related to the different physiographic and geological-structural settings. This paper focuses on the realisation of an EILs susceptibility map, following a heuristic approach combined with a statistical analysis, integrated using GIS technology. This approach led to the identification of nine instability factors. These factors were analysed for the construction of thematic maps. Hence, each factor was assigned proper expert-based ranks and weights based on the critical evaluation of literature data as well as on available landslide inventories and combined in a preliminary map wherein high/low numerical values correspond to a high/low propensity of the slope to fail; furthermore, a statistical analysis of these values was performed to derive suitable susceptibility classes. Results presented herein highlight the robustness of the approach; remarkably, the applied methodology is suitable even in areas where a detailed landslide catalogue is lacking, when the same classification and weighting of available parameters is performed. The statistical analyses and the adoption of an absolute scale ranging from minimum to maximum potential values, finally, ensures the comparability of results among different study areas. Finally, this work represents a scientific and multidisciplinary tool for better defining situations that could lead to hazards (such as landslides) following an earthquake to develop sustainable territorial planning, emergency management, and loss-reduction measures.

Relationships between Morphostructural/Geological Framework and Landslide Types: Historical Landslides in the Hilly Piedmont Area of Abruzzo Region (Central Italy)

Landslides are a widespread natural phenomenon that play an important role in landscape evolution and are responsible for several casualties and damages. The Abruzzo Region (Central Italy) is largely affected by different types of landslides from mountainous to coastal areas. In particular, the hilly piedmont area is characterized by active geomorphological processes, mostly represented by slope instabilities related to mechanisms and factors that control their evolution in different physiographic and geological–structural conditions. This paper focuses on the detailed analysis of three selected case studies to highlight the multitemporal geomorphological evolution of landslide phenomena. An analysis of historical landslides was performed through an integrated approach combining literature data and landslide inventory analysis, relationships between landslide types and lithological units, detailed photogeological analysis, and geomorphological field mapping. This analysis highlights the role of morphostructural features on landslide occurrence and distribution and their interplay with the geomorphological evolution. This work gives a contribution to the location, abundance, activity, and frequency of landslides for the understanding of the spatial interrelationship of landslide types, morphostructural setting, and climate regime in the study area. Finally, it represents a scientific tool in geomorphological studies for landslide hazard assessment at different spatial scales, readily available to interested stakeholders to support sustainable territorial planning.

Planning sustainable development of local productive systems: A methodological approach for the analytical identification of Ecoregions

At the local and regional levels, planning for sustainable development rests on the structural peculiarities of territories following a development model that lays its foundations on the notion of the Marshallian industrial district. Recently, this form of production organization has been recognized as also featuring an organic agricultural sector, where the creation of ecoregions (or bio-districts) emphasizes the territorial dimension of sustainable development. Nevertheless, whilst ecoregions are acquiring substantial relevance at the international level, a comprehensive methodological approach for their analytical identification is still missing, thereby affecting the ability of policymakers to effectively identify territories suitable to enter an ecoregion. The few studies available on this topic adopt a narrow perspective when identifying ecoregions, considering only the dimensions that are strictly related to organic production and ignoring substantial variables that are able to capture the activities and elements that generate positive externalities and feed the economic, social and environmental life of a potential ecoregion. To fill this gap in the literature, this paper makes two innovative contributions. First, the paper discusses the notion of an ecoregion by stressing its relationship with other territorial features (i.e., environmental, social, and economic) that complement the agricultural dimensions. Second, the paper proposes a comprehensive methodological approach for the analytical identification of ecoregions considering not only the biological and agricultural features of territories but also crucial aspects related to their environmental, social and economic contexts. In this regard, the paper develops a new composite indicator – the Ecoregional Vocation Index (EVI) – to assess the vocation of territories to enter an ecoregion. As an illustrative example, the EVI is employed to analyse 29 municipalities belonging to the area of the Bologna Apennines (Emilia-Romagna region, Italy). The results of the analysis provide a ranking that classifies these municipalities from best to the worst in terms of their suitability to belong to an ecoregion. The results are presented and discussed to show how this methodological approach can be generally employed in sustainable territorial planning to support policymakers and other relevant stakeholders in the participatory processes concerning the creation of ecoregions.

Geomorphological evidence of debris flows and landslides in the Pescara del Tronto area (Sibillini Mts, Marche Region, Central Italy)

ABSTRACT In this paper, a geomorphological map of Pescara del Tronto area (Sibillini Mts, Marche Region) is presented. The work focuses on the geomorphological analysis performed in a zone strongly struck by the 2016–2017 seismic sequence of Central Apennines. The geomorphological map (1:7,500 scale) was obtained through an integrated approach that incorporates geological-geomorphological field mapping and geomorphological profile drawing, supported by air-photo interpretation and GIS analysis. The main purpose of the work is to describe a geomorphological approach for representing and mapping the evidence of several debris flows and landslides recognized in the framework of seismic microzonation (SM) activities. Finally, in order to elevate geomorphological maps into effective tools for land management and risk reduction, it could provide a scientific and methodological basis to demonstrate that accurate mapping provides important information, readily available for local administrations and decision-makers, for the implementation of sustainable territorial planning and loss-reduction measures.

Principles of Sustainable Tourism and Cultural Management in Rural and Ultra-peripheral Territories: Extracting Guidelines for Application in the Azores Archipelago

There is a close relationship between sustainable tourism, cultural management, and the achievement of the desired sustainable development and growth. These issues seem to be particularly relevant in rural and ultra-peripheral areas, as in the case of the insular territories. Therefore studies that cross these fields using interdisciplinary analysis are pivotal to allow us to understand the patterns, dynamics, and variables that should be considered in the design of a sustainable territorial planning and manage-ment strategy. Contextually, the present study has been conducted based on the analysis of the existent thematic literature along with cross-referencing of collected and selected data for the Azores archipel-ago. In this regard, the present study enables involved actors, decision-makers, and policy-makers to better understand how sustainable tourism and cultural management principles should be addressed in the pursuit of long-term territorial sustainability.

Land capability classification of Vernazza catchment, Cinque Terre National Park, Italy

ABSTRACT Land capability classification is based on chemical and physical properties of soils for agricultural purposes. Objective of this study is the realization of the land capability map in the Vernazza catchment, an historically terraced landscape in the Cinque Terre National Park, recognized as a World Heritage site by UNESCO since 1997. A pedolandscape map with a descriptive legend, based on the soil-landscape paradigm for the prediction of soil classes and their spatial distribution, was produced. After, a land capability map was created by classifying the pedolandscape units to aid the sustainable territorial planning in the National Park. The results were plotted on a 1:4000 scale map with a descriptive legend. Land capability map is dominated by lands with severe limitation and only the 30% of the study area may be used for crops but it requires very careful management and conservation practice.

Modelo de planificación territorial sostenible de la minería: enfoque en América Latina y el Caribe

La investigación llevó por propósito estructurar un modelo para orientar a la planificación territorial, con base en la sostenibilidad, el quehacer en los espacios mineros, la gestión del riesgo de desastres en unión directa con la adaptación al cambio climático y la generación de resiliencia socio-ambiental en América Latina y el Caribe. Este fin se cimienta en los mandatos de todos los Objetivos para el Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), Agenda 2030 (Naciones Unidas, 2019), las premisas de la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas para la Reducción del Riesgo de Desastres (UNISDR, 2017), las guías del Grupo Intergubernamental de Expertos sobre el Cambio Climático (IPCC, 2018) y, las recomendaciones del Consejo Internacional de Minería y Metales (ICMM, 2019). La propuesta presenta un diseño de campo no-experimental de corte transversal ajustado a un estudio de tipo proyectivo. Se aplicó un muestreo aleatorio simple con resultado de 67 ONG (N = 80). El diagnóstico fue derivado a través de una escala con consistencia interna (α = 0,95; p < 0,05). El Modelo Orientativo de la Planificación Territorial Sostenible de la Minería fue ensamblado siguiendo las asociaciones significativas entre sus componentes, los impactos socio-ambientales de la minería (W = 0,936; γ = -0,867; p < 0,01), y con respecto a la gestión de riesgo de desastres (d = 0,947; γ = 1,000; p < 0,01). El estudio concluyó que el Modelo mitiga directamente las causas que gestan a los impactos socio-ambientales negativos y fomenta, mediante sus ejes transversales, la reducción de riesgos en los espacios mineros.

Entre la expansión urbana y la producción de alimentos

La falta de políticas de ordenamiento territorial adecuadas, las deficiencias en su aplicación y los múltiples intereses de los actores vinculados al periurbano productivo en el Partido de La Plata, entre otros factores, han delineado el actual uso insustentable del territorio. Recientemente, han surgido experiencias novedosas de extensión y de investigación-acción participativa, que incorporan lineamientos surgidos como demandas de distintos actores del territorio. En este trabajo buscamos aportar nuevos conocimientos sobre los usos y coberturas del suelo actualizados, sobre las relaciones espaciales entre ellos y con variables físicas, y formular consideraciones para colaborar en las estrategias de planificación colectiva en el territorio. El mapa de usos/coberturas se realizó a partir de imágenes Landsat 8 (2015) aplicando “support vector machine” (ENVI). Éste se integró con mapas de aptitud del suelo, modelo de drenaje y límites de delegaciones municipales. Se identificaron 11 usos/coberturas. Entre ellas, las coberturas semi-naturales se encontraron mucho menos representadas en la zona hortícola. Un 67,93% de los invernáculos se hallaron a menos de 1000 m de zonas urbanas y el 51,16% del área urbana se asentó sobre suelos aptos para la agricultura. La delegación con mayor concentración de invernáculos fue Abasto (23,5%). Por último, el 45,06% de los invernáculos se hallaron a menos de 200 m de arroyos y un 10,19% a menos de 50 m. Esta información es de gran utilidad para un futuro proceso de planificación territorial sustentable, y proporciona una base útil para nutrir el debate acerca de los modelos de agricultura periurbana en Argentina, y en particular en la región de La Plata.

Landslide Susceptibility Assessment of Mauritius Island (Indian Ocean)

This work is focused on the landslide susceptibility assessment, applied to Mauritius Island. The study area is a volcanic island located in the western part of the Indian Ocean and it is characterized by a plateau-like morphology interrupted by three rugged mountain areas. The island is severely affected by geo-hydrological hazards, generally triggered by tropical storms and cyclones. The landslide susceptibility analysis was performed through an integrated approach based on morphometric analysis and preliminary Geographical Information System (GIS)-based techniques, supported by photogeological analysis and geomorphological field mapping. The analysis was completed following a mixed heuristic and statistical approach, integrated using GIS technology. This approach led to the identification of eight landslide controlling factors. Hence, each factor was evaluated by assigning appropriate expert-based weights and analyzed for the construction of thematic maps. Finally, all the collected data were mapped through a cartographic overlay process in order to realize a new zonation of landslide susceptibility. The resulting map was grouped into four landslide susceptibility classes: low, medium, high, and very high. This work provides a scientific basis that could be effectively applied in other tropical areas showing similar climatic and geomorphological features, in order to develop sustainable territorial planning, emergency management, and loss-reduction measures.