Techniques in regional planning : comparative analysis and application of techniques for rural service center planning | |
| Author | Basnyat, Manoj Bahadur |
| Call Number | AIT RSPR no. HS-91-01 |
| Subject(s) | Social service, Rural--Nepal Regional planning--Nepal |
| Note | A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Engineering and Technology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Series Statement | Research studies project report ; no. HS-91-01 |
| Abstract | Successful implementation of decentralised development planning at the regional (district) level requires planning agencies and planning actors to be well equipped with appropriate tools and techniques. Techniques cannot solve all the ill-fated problems of regional planning. But they can support local planners to efficiently fulfill their planning tasks within the framework of decentralisation. An example of Nepal shows that though the population has increased by 120 percent, the change in the proportion of people dependent on agriculture is not significant even after 30 years of planned development. The agricultural sector is slipping in to sub-subsistence and its should be recognised as the fundamental base for national development. Poverty and under-development in rural areas requires provision of subsidized public services at the sub-district level rural service centers - in the rural development context. Given the time framework for the study, a study of techniques to identify locations for rural service centers supports efforts of planning agencies for agricultural development. The study concentrates primarily on the situation of Nepal, uses the data and conditions of Chaibadan District, Thailand (see Figure i.) to apply the techniques and comparison is made with the Nepalese situation (with special emphasis on hilly areas with occasional reference to Rukum district in the Mid-western Development Region (see Figure ii. ). The reviewed techniques can be classified into qualitative, quantitative, graphics and computer programs ( given their interpretation). Conditioned on a screening process, the chi-square technique, the centrographic technique and the scalogram (in different application examples and supported by weighting techniques) have been applied to the Chaibadan situation (time was limited to consider all techniques). Both the review and application of the selected techniques demonstrate the need for caution in applying techniques developed in other socio-economic, topographical, administrative and geopolitical conditions. Given the conditions of rural Nepal, most of the techniques reviewed are hardly applicable. There is a necessity to forge suitable techniques. Indeed, many of the existing techniques show their suitability to analyse existing settlements and primarily in the urban development context .This Research Study was completed as part of the requirements for the SPRING (Asia) Programme. SPRING, an acronym for Spatial Planning for Regions in Growing Economies, is an M.Sc. programme jointly offered by the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok , and the University of Dortmund, Germany. Under the SPRING Programme, a Research Study carrying twelve credit, must be conceptualized and completed within only one term, i.e. from 1 January - to 31 March 1991. Preferably , the topic should related to the preceding District Development Workshop. The Spring Programme thus differs from other M.Sc. programme in AIT where most student write a thesis which spans at least eight mounth. |
| Year | 1991 |
| Corresponding Series Added Entry | Asian Institute of Technology.|tResearch studies project report ; no. HS-91-01 |
| Type | Research Study Project Report (RSPR) |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Human Settlement (HS) |
| Chairperson(s) | Kammmeier, H. D.; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Routray, J. K. ;Demaine, H.; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Deutscter Akademischer Ausrausdienst (DADD); |
| Degree | Research Studies Project Report (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1991 |