Soil Resources and Watershed Management Program

Degree Program B.Sc in Soil Resources and Watershed Management

Module Title Land use planning(MSRWM2081)
Module coordinator
Course title /code Land evaluation and Landuse Planning (SRWM2082)
Course credit 5 ECTS
Course Information Academic Year 213/14 Semester I
Meeting Day _____ Meeting Time____ Meeting Location________
Instructor’s Name Sisay M.
Instructor’s Contact Office
Information Phone
Email
Office hour
Student Work Load Lecture Tutorial Group Lab and field Home total
Work practice study
48hrs 10 8hrs 36 33 hrs 135 hrs
Course objective and At the end of the course students will be able to
competences to be  Understand the specific terminology, concepts and basic principles
acquired used in land use planning and evaluation science and they are able to
apply some existing land evaluation methodologies for land
classification and crop growth modeling.
 Identify relevant land characteristics affecting crop growth in other
environments, translate the available land resources information
found in soil survey reports into agricultural suitability and indicate
the most important production limiting factors.
 Have good insights in land suitability assessment for sustainable land
use.
Course Planning steps, The nature and scope of LUP: concepts and definitions,
Description/content decisions on land use, principal goals, focus, and levels of LUP; An
overview of the planning process: steps, the need for flexibility, planning as
an iterative process; Land Evaluation (LE): definitions, systems, principles,
and procedures; selection and description of land utilization types; Land use
requirements; Land units, characteristics and qualities; Matching land
suitability classification; Environmental, economic and social analysis.
Practical exercises:
Evaluate land, undertake capability and suitability classification
Course status Compulsory
Schedule
Week Date Topics and Sub Topics Reference
First class meeting Sep _____ General
introduction about the course, and
setting ground rules Guidelines for Land-
1 Use Planning +
Introduction Handout
 Definition of basic term,
 Importance

2—5 Land evaluation

  Definition and concepts
 Level of land Evaluation
 Principles and procedures
 data sources and methods of
collection
 principles of FAO’s land Guidelines for Land-
evaluation Use Planning
5-8
Land Capability
 principles
 characteristics and qualities
 land capability classification and
description
 Relating land capability class
with land use options
FAO and USDA’s Land capability
classification
8-13 Land suitability classification
 General
 Principles
 Structures of the suitability
classification
 The range of classifications
 The result of lad suitability
evaluations
Examples of LSC for different crops
Land use planning
 Importance
 Land use planning: field of
application
14-16  Planning procedures and process
 Integrating land use planning in
to planning system
 Implementation in land use
planning
 Matching land suitability
classification
 Contents of LUP documents
New tools for integrated land use
planning
 Information Requirements in
Land Use planning
 Aerial Photographs and Remote
Sensing
 Geographic Information system
for land use planning
 Concepts and procedures of Data
base design
  Concepts and Systems of
Organizing
 Spatial data

Teaching and learning methods

Classroom contact/Lecture, group work, independent learning)
Assessment Continuous assessment
Individual Assessment: 30 % ( Assignments, quizzes and Tests)

Practical work report: 20 %

Final exam 50 % week 16

Course Expectation Preparedness and participation: both students and the teacher should be
prepared since education is an interactive process. Students should be active
participants in the teaching-learning process. They should be interested to
the course and come to class with the necessary materials such as exercise
books and pen. In addition, they should to take responsibility in their
education.
Teachers are also expected be prepared and interested to the course, which
they are offering. They have to consult the essential materials a head of time
and try share their knowledge in an efficient and effective manner.
Material availability: reference materials are expected to be available in the
library nearest to respective faculties. materials are expected to be available
in the library nearest to respective faculties
.
Policy Attendance: 100 % course attendance is compulsory. Students are expected
to be punctual and are expected to submit reports in time. In addition,
students should provide tangible evidence in case of any absence.
Assignments: you must do your assignment in time. No late assignment
will be accepted.
Tests/Quizzes: No make up tests or quizzes will be given in case of failure
to take the testes unless provision of tangible evidence.
Cheating: you must do your own work and not copy and get answers from
someone else.
Also, please do not chew gum, eat, listen to recorders or CD players, wear
sunglasses, or talk about personal problems. Please be sure to turn off
pagers and cell phones before class and exam sessions.
Reference Daidson D (1986). Land evaluation. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company,
New York FAO (1986). Strategies, approaches and systems in integrated
watershed management. FAO, Rome
FAO (1993). Guidelines for Land-Use Planning. FAO, Rome
FDRE, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(2005). Community-based Participatory Watershed Development: A
Guideline (Part 1 &2)
Gregersen K.M, Brooks K.N, Dixon J.A and Hamilton L.S (1988).
Guidelines for economic appraisal of watershed management FAO, Rome
Sheng T.C (1990). Watershed management field manual. FAO conservation
Guide 13/6. FAO Rome.