| There is a need to improve the ability of rural government and non-government organisations to harmonise social, environmental, and economic objectives through land use planning. The closer these objectives are in agreement, the greater the likelihood that both ecosystems and society will be sustainable. Therefore, a planning approach is needed to facilitate the development of long-term planning strategies that ensure the ‘optimal’ or ‘best’ use of rural land resources, while attempting to harmonise a variety of socio-economic objectives.; An ecosystem-approach to land use planning, advocated by this thesis, requires land capability data and socio-economic data. Land capability data are used to compartmentalise the watershed landscape, based on inherent land capability for protected, productive, compromise, and urban/industrial uses. Socio-economic data are used to determine land use priorities, represented through alternative ‘land-use scenarios’. Geographic information systems are used to integrate land-use scenarios and landscape compartments into alternative land-use scenarios. |
