Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
National Seminar on
Land Use Planning for Agricultural Development and Establishment of Agro-Economic Zones
"Strategies for India with special reference to Uttar Pradesh"
December 11-12, 2009
At IIM, Lucknow

Introduction

Sustainable land and natural resource management is fundamental to ensuring adequate food and fibre production. The land use intensification and the expansion of agricultural land at the expense of natural or seminatural vegetation constitute key variables in the cycle of un-sustainability linking degradation of natural resources to demographic pressure.

Despite the impressive gains in agricultural production and productivity via crop intensification, the most of the regions are facing problems related to the land degradation due to intensively cropped lands, the overuse of ground water, excessive nutrient loads in surface and ground water, and increased pesticide use. Low levels of land productivity and subsequent land and resource degradation can often be traced to inadequate access to the best or most appropriate knowledge required to overcome local constraints. Providing better information to both technology developers and farmers can stimulate the adoption of both soil conservation technologies and improved land management practices. A sustainable and increasingly productive agricultural base is essential for food security. One aspect of land reform that has not been extensively addressed is its relationship to household decision making regarding patterns of land use and agricultural practices.

Considering the multiple demands of land and water resources, the time has now come to take a hard look in an integrated perspective for resource use planning right from the lowest possible levels to fulfil the aspiration of all the stakeholders. At the local level, the stakeholders' knowledge of sustainable land management practices relies on time-tested traditional techniques and knowledge that have been transferred through generations. In some cases, what might have been a sustainable land use practice in the past may not be viable anymore in the new context. New technologies and information on how to adapt traditional technologies to the new challenges are key priorities. The classification and mapping of agricultural land according to the capacity and utility become important goals for better management. It provides a suitable context for resource management, conflict resolution and decision making at the local and regional levels, consistent with national policies and priorities. However, the existing database on land use is highly inadequate. Therefore, strengthening of the database, using traditional cadastral surveys, modern remote sensing techniques, GPS, GIS and computerization of land records would be necessary. There is need for a strong monitoring mechanism to document the on-going land use changes either driven by market or policy, or both.

Seminar Objectives