Land Use Planning and Management (LUPM)

Project description

Title: Land Use Planning and Management (LUPM)
Commissioned by: Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Government of Germany
Country: India
Lead executing agency: Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India Department of Land Resources
Overall term: 2015 to 2019

Context

India is currently experiencing heavy pressure on its available land resources. The country accommodates around 18 per cent of the world’s population, despite making up approximately 2.2 per cent of the overall global geographical area. This makes land a precious commodity over which various sectors are competing. Additionally, the absence of an integrated concept for spatial and land use planning aggravates conflicts and encourages excessive exploitation of land resources.

Over the last few decades, the land use patterns in India have undergone major changes. Ever-increasing urbanisation and industrialisation are diverting fertile land from its agricultural purpose.

This poses serious challenges for food security, particularly for the vulnerable sections of society. It also threatens the flora and fauna surviving in limited biodiversity hotspots.

Against this backdrop, it is important to develop policies and institutional mechanisms promoting coherent land use planning and management.

Objective

Together with the Land Use Planning and Management (LUPM) project, the Indian state planning institutions developed and implemented standardised instruments for integrated spatial land use planning and management. These instruments help to plan eco-sensitive zones, special industrial areas and special economic zones. They also help to develop road requirement plans. 

Approach

The LUPM project facilitates interaction and cooperation between the various planning levels and institutions. The project therefore, works at the central, state, and municipal levels to carry out the following activities:

  • Supporting the development of policies and guidelines for integrated land use planning and management. These policies and guidelines are derived through extensive discussions with the main sectoral ministries and bodies, both, at the policy and the technical levels.
  • Engaging the central and state departments, the local administrations, private sector, academia, and the local population to develop standard planning tools and processes for territorial strategic development.
  • At the state level, bringing together cross-sectoral planning institutions with relevant sector authorities to consolidate goals for integrated spatial and land use planning.
  • Building specific competencies to adequately apply the developed policies, guidelines, tools, and processes. The project offers human capacity development measures for technical specialists and managers of cross-sectoral and sector planning institutions at the state and municipal level.

Results

The project aims to achieve the following results:

  • Through the introduction and application of modern planning tools and guidelines, land management and land use planning will become more transparent and balanced, with regard to the ecological, economic, and social aspects.
  • Standardising operating procedures and guidelines for intra- and inter-ministerial coordination. This will facilitate inter-sectoral cooperation among various ministries and agencies at the central, state, and municipal level, which is an essential prerequisite for developing an integrated land use plan.
  • Overall, it is expected that the developed policies, guidelines, tools and processes for integrated spatial land use planning and management will contribute to a more sustainable and balanced usage of the country’s land resources.