The Future of Our Land. Guidelines for Integrated Planning for Sustainable Management of Land Resources (FUTURE_LAND)

This document proposes a land use planning approach for sustainable management of land resources based on an interactive partnership between governments and people. The advocated  approach is centered on the concept of stakeholders and their objectives, and the role of government in creating the conditions within which rural people can use their land resources productively and sustainably.  The approach is both integrated and interactive and has the following key elements: (1) it combines elements of both the bottom-up approach, based on grass-roots participation, and traditionally top-down aspects of land resource assessment and evaluation of options; (2) it takes into account the complex biophysical and socio-economic variables which determine the land-use system; (3) it considers legal and institutional aspects which facilitate the implementation of the plan; (4) it is a negotiation process, in which land users interact among themselves and with specialists; (5) different levels (national, sub-national and local level) interact in the planning process.

Following these principles for the Integrated Planning for Sustainable Management of Land Resources (IPSMLR) approach, the document proposes a 9-step iterative methodology for land use planning. The steps are: (1) identify the problems to be solved and formulate objectives; (2) identify the stakeholders and their goals, needs and stakes; (3) establish multidisciplinary task forces, at different decision-levels (community, sub-national, national) where necessary; (4) collect land resource, land use, and socio-economic data; (5) conduct a preliminary identification and screening of land use options; (5) evaluate land suitability for the identified land use options; (6) assess financial and economic viability , social and environmental impact of the identified land use options; (7) arrange a negotiation and decision process upon the options and set up a plan for achieving the agreed objectives; (8) ensure the agreed plan is both ‘hard-wired’ and protected through legislation; (9) ensure continuity between completion of the land use plan and its actual implementation through a monitoring and evaluation mechanism.