School of Environment, Resources and Development, (SERD)
ED76.16 : Land Resources Management  3(3-0)
Course Objectives:

Persisting land degradation problem with unsustainable land management practices and increasing competition for land for other purposes than food production has continuously challenged the food security and ecosystem. The objective of the course is to provide the concept and current issues in rural land management, techniques, and tools for conducting systematic land evaluation, and needed enabling environment to help make appropriate decisions related to sustainable land management to support food production and ecosystem functions.
Learning Outcomes:
The students on completion of this courses will be able to:

1.    Distinguish the types and issues of land resources in the region
2.    Investigate human impacts on land resources
3.    Analyze different land evaluation methods and apply appropriate method
4.    Select and apply tools in land management
5.    Analyze land use options and formulate sustainable land management strategies
Pre-requisite(s):

None
Course Outline:
I.         Concern, Issues and Types
1.     Concern for Land
2.     Land Resources issues
3.     Land Resource types
 
II.        Land Resource and Soil Surveys
1.     Landscape Approach, Land Resource Inventories
2.     Ecological and Agro-ecological Surveys
3.     Soil survey
 
III.       Human Impacts on land resource
1.     Land use change
2.     Land degradation
3.     Key effects
 
IV.      Methodology of Land Evaluation
1.     Principles and procedures of FAO Framework of land evaluation
2.     Land Capability Classification; Land Evaluation and Site Assessment; Agro-Ecological Zoning; Framework for Evaluation of Sustainable Land Management
3.     Principles, process and methods of land use planning
 
V.        Tools in Land Management
1.     Role and process of Environmental Impact Assessments in land resources
2.     Participatory planning [Need for and perceptions; Participation in policy making]
3.     Land Resources Indicators
 
VI.      Sustainable Land Management (SLM)
1.     SLM Concept, progress and barriers
2.     Land tenure, Sustainable land use and food security
3.     Socioeconomic, policy and institutional framework
Laboratory Sessions:

None
Textbook:

No designated textbook, but class notes will be provided.
Reference Books:
1.     Davidson, D.A., 1992. The Evaluation of Land Resources, 2nd Edition, Longman Publication Group.
2.     FAO, 2007, Land Evaluation: Towards a Revised Framework, Land and Water Discussion Paper 6. FAO, Rome.
3.     Young, A., 1998. Land Resources: Now and for the Future, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
4.     IBRD/WB, 2006. Sustainable Land Management: Challenges, Opportunities and Trade-offs, The World Bank, Washington, D.C.
5.     World Bank, 2008. Sustainable Land Management Sourcebook, The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank, Washington D.C.
6.     K. Deininger and D. Byerlee with J. Lindsay, A. Norton, H. Selod, and M. Stickler, 2011. Rising Global Interest in Farmland: Can it yield sustainable and equitable benefits?, The World Bank, Washington D.C.
Journals and Magazines:
1.    International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation [Elsevier]
2.    Natural Resources Forum [Wiley]
3.    Soil Use and Management [Wiley]
4.    Geoderma [Elsevier]
5.    Journal of Land Use Science [Taylor & Francis]

Others: Relevant and selected articles will be distributed.
Teaching and Learning Methods:
Lectures; Interactive classroom discussions; Individual assignments to learn respective country’s land management problems and situation; Group assignment to learn land management as integrated discipline; Classroom presentation of assignment.
Evaluation Scheme:
Both the midsem and final exam are closed book exams carrying 30% weight each. One individual assignment carries 10% weight, and one group assignment and presentation carries 20% weight.

Grade “A” will be awarded if a student can demonstrate thorough knowledge and mastery of concepts and techniques and understanding of subject matter with high degree of skill to relate with them real world examples. Grade “B” will be awarded if a student can demonstrate good knowledge and mastery of concepts and understanding of subject matter with good skill of relating them with real work cases. Grade “C” will be given if a student can demonstrate some knowledge of the concepts and understanding but lacks skill of relating them with real world cases. Grade “D” will be given if a student have poor understanding of concepts and techniques with no or little skill to relate with real world cases. Grade “F” will be given if student demonstrates very poor and limited knowledge and understanding of concepts and lacks the skill to relate with real world cases.
Instructor(s):
SECTION NAME
A