GIS-aided rural land use planning : a case study in Huailu county, China | |
| Author | Xu, Xinhui |
| Call Number | AIT Thesis no.SR-96-23 |
| Subject(s) | Geographic information systems Land use, Rural--China--Huailu |
| Note | A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Thesis ; no. SR-96-23 |
| Abstract | Land is a non-renewable natural resource. It is the basic resource to provide human beings with food, shelter, enjoyment, as well as all other needs. With the rapid population growth, and accelerated development, especially the industrial development, land is facing greater pressure than ever before. Agriculture is an important branch of economy and society, and is what land should be dedicated to. However, conflicts and problems of land use are not only limited in the agricultural sector. Specific efforts made in planning the use of agricultural land are not adequate to solve these conflicts and problems. So, this thesis study adopts an integrated approach, with the assistance of geographical information system (GIS), to coordinate all major types of land use by all the groups of land users within a complete political unit, a county in China. Land evaluation, land demand estimation, and land use analysis are the supporting components to the integrated land use planning. In this study, land evaluation is conducted for two purposes, agriculture and industry. For agriculture, a parametric capability classification system is adopted. All relevant land factors are incorporated by a weighted additive method to differentiate the land capability in hosting the general types of agricultural uses. For industry, a simple suitability classification is carried out based mainly on the locational considerations. Land demand analysis deals with the land demand by different sectors, of which, population forecasting and grain yield forecasting are the basis to assess whether the land can support the future population for a certain level of living standard. Priority setting is an essential step in land use planning. To allocate the finite total amount of land to all the relevant sectors, it is necessary to decide whose demand should be satisfied first, whose next and so on. In this study, three alternative priority sequences are used. As a result, three alternative land use plans are worked out respectively corresponding to each of the priority sequences. The three alternative plans are reviewed and compared one another with social, economic and environmental considerations, and with the consideration of likelihood of implementation. And at last, one alternative plan is recommended as the preferred one. Geographical information system is applied through the whole process of land use planning. It demonstrates its advantages in this kind of work, especially in the land capability classification and in the process of land allocation. |
| Year | 1996 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology. Thesis ; no. SR-96-23 |
| Type | Thesis |
| School | School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Space Technology Application and Research (SR) |
| Chairperson(s) | Apisit Eiumnoh; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Kaew Nualchawee;Routray, J. K.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD); |
| Degree | Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1996 |