Intergrated management of land resources in eastern Africa: A review

Abstract

An overall assessment of current resources in eastern Africa indicates that land degradation has reached a serious stage. This is reflected in the fast declining agricultural productivity, increasing hectarage of agricultural land yearly going out of crop production due to soil degradation and siltation ofdams and productive river valleys, and expansion of cultivation into adjacent forest and pasture lands. Most of the countries in the region do not yet have integrated land resource management policies and legislations that may lead to sustainable development and increased productivity of land resources that is compatible with sound environment management at regional, national and local levels. The World soils policy and National soil policies formulated by UNEP which are very closely linked with World Conservation Strategy and Agenda 21, have laid the basis for the formulation of land use policies, legislation and plan at all levels. To formulate meaningful land use plan at regional and local levels, the acquisition of land resource data base is essential. Intergrated management of land resources should be considered as an inportant step leading to sustainable development resources at all levels. The proposals for improved and strengthened planning, management and evaluation systems of land resources which include developing land resource data base, adopting appropriate farming systems for different agro-ecological zones, technology development and transfer, sustainable managment of plant nutrition and balancing ecological values and food production are some of the major steps recommended as an intergral part of the land resources management.