Guidelines and Manual on Land-use
Planning and Practices in Watershed Management and Disaster Reduction
ST/ESCAP/1781, 1997
Integrated watershed management has come to be recognized internationally as an
important holistic approach to natural resources management, which seeks to
promote the concept of sustainable development. Such an integrated approach has
been recommended in Agenda 21 for all sectors dealing with the development and
management of water resources. The present publication was initiated as part of
the ongoing effort of the Water Resources Section of ESCAP towards the
sustainable, integrated development of the water resource systems of the region.
Such effort requires a systematic and strategic integration of water resources
development and management activities into the social and economic development
process. In that context, sustainable land use forms an overall planning
framework, whilst sound land-use planning concepts, together with the adoption
of appropriate land-use practices, provide key guidelines for land and water
resources development and management, which should be undertaken with the
integrated objectives of reducing natural disasters, boosting productivity and
achieving sustainable development.
Sound land-use planning methods and practices can be developed from an
end-use standpoint, such as social and economic development of national or
regional planning, or from a sectoral point of view, i.e. in the context of
development planning for various sectors such as agriculture, forestry, mining
and water resources. There are strong linkages in planning between the two
viewpoints; national and sectoral, between the two levels; national and
regional, and among the various sectors. Integrated land-use planning aims to
address these linkages. In this publication, an attempt is made to systematize
important elements of these linkages, and especially the links between national
and sectoral planning, to form a basis for better planning in the fields of land
use and water resources development. The important elements of these linkages
include the management system, financial resources, institutional and legal
frameworks and community participation. The publication also identifies key
areas which help to focus the land-use planning process towards the effective
reduction of water-related natural disasters and also towards improved watershed
management. Although it deals, to a certain degree, with land-use planning at
the national development level, no attempt is made in the publication to
consider regional development planning methodology as a guide for national
socio-economic development. This step, however, is believed to be necessary to
ensure that all land-use planning undertaken for watershed management and
disaster reduction fully incorporates the main thrusts of national
socio-economic development, as derived from regional development methodologies.
The case studies of individual countries included in the publication are
intended to provide useful examples of such a planning process.
The publication also attempts to make an overall, state-of-the-art review of
appropriate land-use practices, in order to provide key information about
watershed management and hazard assessment techniques as a basis for
establishing future land-use options. In addition, the publication includes some
details and references regarding advanced planning techniques.
This publication was prepared primarily to assist decision makers, planners
and practising engineers to manage land and water resources in an integrated
manner, in order to achieve better and sustainable watershed management, to
coordinate land and water resources development activities with the development
activities of other sectors, and to adopt an ecosystem-oriented foundation for
the prioritization of water-related development activities. The publication is
also intended to serve as a reference for planners and practising professionals
working in other sectors when dealing with watershed-related development
projects.
This publication is now available in Acrobat format and can be downloaded
from here:
Complete file: 3 MB
Front part:
539 KB
Part 1: Guidelines
1.33 MB: Chapter
1 (606 KB), Chapter 2
(584KB) and Chapter
3&4 (181KB)
Part 2: Manual
1.23 MB: Chapter
5 (367KB) and Chapter 6
(882KB)
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