Multicriteria Analysis in Land Use Planning and Management

Introduction to Land Use Planning and Management

Issues pertaining to land use management and land use planning are as varied in nature as they are challenging. Taking diversity as one such challenge, ascertaining the various goals, values, and techniques of the land user has remained a crucial task. The intention of this paper is to detail some methodologies on selected issues of land use management and land use planning, and to present a relevant literature review that gives credence to these methodologies.

The determination of how land is or will be used is the essence of land use planning and land management. Seeking to create a vision for the use and management of lands and natural resources, land and resource management plans require the involvement of people from equally varied disciplines. Strategic planning as we know it today owes its existence in part to the planning carried out during the colonial period, the focus of which was on the manipulation of the physical environment. The aim then was to pursue plans that were considered "orderly" by the different colonial nations. Their approach toward planning was comprehensive in nature, yet limited to the use of land resources to achieve development in selected areas only. This selection of areas by the few not only led to displaced urbanization, but also produced a pattern of settlement that was immensely distorted, fragmented, unequal, incoherent, and inefficient.

With the passage of time, independent states across the world focused on the multitude of social and political problems at hand while also becoming aware that the economic, social, and environmental future of their nations lay in the better utilization of land resources. They thus began to develop and pursue plans that served communities across nations, including taking steps for the preservation of regional and global resources. Some specific needs that could truly satisfy optimum utilization of land resources include: the development of policies ensuring the best use and sustainable management of land; improvement and strengthening of planning, management, monitoring, and evaluation of various land use planning tools and methodologies; strengthening of institutions and coordinating mechanisms among them; and the creation of mechanisms to facilitate satisfaction of the needs and objectives of communities and people across the nation.

Summarizing the strategies and objectives of land use management and land use planning, it must be ensured that all programs henceforth adopted and pursued are holistic and comprehensive in nature. Plans should take into account all factors related to land resources and environmental conservation, and all land use options must be duly considered when deciding on the various needs assigned to the lands in question.

Yet the responsibility for optimum utilization of land use management and land use planning is not limited to a single department, public or private, or to any single group or organization. On the contrary, it is up to every individual and every national and provincial department to engage in spatial planning for the general and common benefit of the entire nation. Striking a balance between ownership, responsibility, and benefits from land use should be the epitome of all such measures (Toit, 2001).

Multicriteria Analysis Method

Euro Beinat and Peter Nijkamp, in their book Multicriteria Analysis for Land-Use Management (1998), introduced the environmental community to their theory of the multicriteria decision-making analysis model. Fundamentally, the model takes its cue from land use requirements. Management of land use is dependent on multiple factors and requires professionals in the field to carefully balance the multitude of usage goals with the search for desirable land use. The effectiveness of land use planning therefore rests on sustainable management practices, which draw on sophisticated environmental, economic, and social analysis. These analyses lead to better land use planning and management.

The main objective of the multicriteria analysis rests on a model of land use management that can integrate all kinds of possible problems the authority is likely to face. Beinat and Nijkamp's model therefore supports the structuring of land use planning issues and allows the planner to concentrate on the major factors rather than on the trade-offs of conflicting land utility goals. The purpose is to evaluate and develop options for decision-making. Unless planners have clear goals and multicriteria schemes for the different types of methods available for analysis, land use planning and management cannot achieve the objective of maximizing finite land forms.

For example, Guillermo A. Mendoza, Herlina Hartanto, Ravi Prabhu, and Teodoro Villanueva (2002) used the multicriteria analysis model to assess the sustainability level in forestry. They based their concept on resource use and utilization of environmental space by first identifying qualitative and quantitative models for assessment of forestry. The sustainability analysis was then carried out in three stages: in the first stage, the development of criteria and indicators was established; in the second stage, the multicriteria model was used to estimate the importance of the factors; and in the third stage, qualitative and quantitative factors were addressed. Scores were then allocated to the factors using different kinds of information analysis and feedback to reveal the information extracted from the relevant set of factors. The end result of the analysis was then used for reviewing the sustainability level of the forest (Mendoza et al., 2002).

Thus, it is clear that criteria setting and the choosing of alternatives is not only a management tool but is also used for the physical allocation of resources. Planning uses criteria to prioritize which elements come first, second, and so on. In land use planning, criteria are set in order of importance according to their relative significance. It is not necessary to have the most important element first. Instead, effective land use management requires the decision maker to envision the utility of the land for both the current scenario and future ones, and to analyze how an integrated whole can be created rather than fragmentation of important components.

Land use planning and management criteria have evolved over the years due to the changing environment and the apparent limitation of land. Land as a resource has become increasingly limited in both the production sense and for urban development. Its allocation is growing more complex due to the nature of the land itself, its geographical location, and its inherent wealth. Political entities such as governments and commercial enterprises such as industries are finding it increasingly difficult to allocate land resources for their usage. Users are becoming more varied and diversified every day, and sophisticated techniques and methods must be adopted for land allocation.

Over the years, a multitude of tools and techniques have been introduced for this purpose. Remote sensing techniques and simulation modeling are two preferred methods introduced in recent decades. With the help of technological advancement, these two methods introduce the concept of land allocation using real models and then integrating hypothesis simulation factors to analyze the feasibility of plans. Remote sensing achieves this purpose with the use of GIS devices and satellite technology, allowing planners to study the problem comprehensively before choosing alternatives and making final decisions. The multicriteria analysis model supports these two techniques, which form the basis of the following discussion.

Conclusion

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