Implementing Integrated Land Use Planning: A step-by-step guide for rural areas
Introductory guide: Chapter 1. Nature and scope
Introduction
The growing demand for food is placing increasing pressure on land and water resources. According to FAO (2022), agriculture will need to produce nearly 50% more food, feed, and biofuels by 2050 than it did in 2012. In light of this, there is a growing recognition that land, which produces over 95% of the world’s food, must be the central focus. Effective land use and resource planning are essential at various levels of decision-making to promote the sustainable and efficient use of resources, addressing both current and future challenges, such as population growth and rising demand.
Land use planning involves systematically assessing land potential and exploring alternatives for optimal land and water use. Through participatory processes, it aims to improve economic and social conditions while involving various sectors and stakeholders. These processes can generate multiple benefits and opportunities for local and national economies, as well as private and public investments.
FAO, in collaboration with key partner institutions and countries, supports land use planning by developing guidelines, approaches, and tools. The first edition of the Guidelines for Land Use Planning was published in 1993, providing a step-by-step approach to land use planning. This was followed by The Future of Our Land in 1999, which focused on guidelines for integrated planning for sustainable land resource management.
Since the publication of these guidelines, significant progress has been made in developing new concepts, approaches, and tools for land use planning. Increased understanding of socio-economic conditions, land tenure, integrated landscape and water management, and stakeholder participation is now reflected in this updated text. Additionally, emerging global challenges such as climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity conservation have expanded the scope of land use planning. While the 1993 guidelines primarily addressed the biophysical factors impacting crop production, modern land use planning must also consider strategies for climate change mitigation, land degradation prevention, and biodiversity conservation.
Technological advances over the past 30 years—particularly in geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and digital tools like Google Maps—have significantly altered the way land use planning is conducted. These developments have made it easier to gather and analyze data, enabling more informed decision-making.
To communicate new thinking in land use planning and enhance the visibility of the expanding array of tools, an update to the 1993 guidelines became necessary. The current guidelines aim to maintain continuity with the original FAO guidelines of 1993 and 1999, which still contain valuable material.
The term “integrated” highlights modern trends in land use planning, including optimizing land use across landscapes, fostering stakeholder participation and negotiation, employing multidisciplinary expertise, coordinating decision-making across levels, and utilizing a variety of tools.
Land use planning must be adaptable to the specific circumstances of different countries, regions, and localities. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to defining exact steps and procedures. As such, guidelines remain the best option for navigating the diversity and complexity of land use situations worldwide.
The current guidelines are divided into two parts:
Part 1 (“Introductory Guide”):
This section introduces key concepts in integrated land use planning and outlines the planning process through a logical sequence of steps. Chapter 1 covers essential concepts, including factors that determine land use, various approaches to land use planning, and the role of stakeholders in the process. It also addresses emerging issues such as climate change, land degradation, and the need for technological innovations in planning. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the land use planning process, presenting a nine-step framework that can be applied in a variety of contexts. Each step follows a consistent format:
• Objectives to achieve
• Responsible parties
• How to carry out this step
• Expected outcomes
Part 2 (“Practitioner’s Guide”):
This section elaborates on the nine-step approach in more detail, offering practical guidance for those involved in actual land use planning exercises.
While Part 1 can be read independently, those engaged in active land use planning are encouraged to refer to the detailed guidance in Part 2.
Most of the references in this document contain web links for easy access and can be downloaded free of charge. Some older references may seem outdated, but the concepts and principles they contain remain relevant and are still widely applied in the methods and approaches described in this document.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
These guidelines were prepared by Eddy De Pauw and Freddy Nachtergaele under the guidance of Dr. Feras Ziadat, FAO Technical Officer for Land Resources, and Dr. Pandi Zdruli, Professor of Soil Science and Natural Resources at CIHEAM Bari. They are based on a draft manuscript submitted to CIHEAM in November 2022 and formatted for publication on this website. A FAO publication, partially based on this material, will be released following the completion of a global consultation on integrated land use planning.