Principles of land use planning

TEXT 1C

On the basis of long-term investigations some principles of land use planning are presented.

Land use planning is a dialogue, creating the prerequisites for the successful negotiation and co-operation among stakeholders.

The core task of land use planning consists of initiating a communication and co-operation process which "allows all participants to formulate their interests and objectives in the dialogue". On the basis of sound decisions a sustainable form of land use is proposed "whereby the aims and interests of other participating group are taken into account to the greatest possible extent".

An important element of participation-oriented land use planning is the identification of the various groups of participants and differentiating them in terms of their use and access to land resources. In addition, their position on the social scale and their capacities, either as stakeholders or as members of authorities and other organizations have to be considered. Land use planning takes into account cultural viewpoints and builds up on local environmental knowledge.

Rural societies or groups can often provide complex indigenous knowledge of the environment. If this is the case, such local knowledge should be a part of the basis for planning and implementing a sustainable land use. Land use planning takes also into consideration traditional strategies for solving problems and conflicts.

Traditional rural societies have their own way of approaching problems and settling conflicts concerning land use. In the process of land use planning, such mechanisms have to be recognized, understood and taken into account.

Land use planning requires transparency. Therefore, free access to information for all participants is a prerequisite.

Transparency in planning and the extent to which stakeholders are informed, strengthen both their willingness and capacity to participate in planning and decision-making. It increases the motivation of the people for creating sustainable results. An open exchange of information leads to discussions about objectives among the key figures and promotes the willingness to reach a consensus. The dissemination of information in the local language(s) contributes to an improved transparency. In addition, it strengthens the trust of the population in land use planning activities.

The differentiation of stakeholders and the gender approach are core principles in land use planning. A prerequisite for realistic land use planning is the detailed analysis of the various interest groups. The aim is to find out the various interests of the participants in order to create a basis for the negotiation and decision-making process. Men and women often do not have the same access to land and have specific ways of articulating themselves. Different interests are arising from the economic and social character of their role and scope of duties. Therefore, the role of gender is an important criterion when differentiating stakeholders.

Land use planning is implementation-oriented. Land use planning has to consider how the negotiated decisions are to be implemented. Land use planning does not end with the land use plan.

The implementation of limited measures (e.g. the development of cultivation techniques which conserve land resources) plays an important role in increasing the trust of the people in the village as far as the planning process is concerned.

18. Прочтите и письменно переведите текст 1Д:

Дата добавления: 2014-12-27