Today, we live in a period characterised by a technical progress so dynamic that it goes beyond most peoples' imagination. At the same time, we are confronted not only with the consequences of that progress e.g. the depletion of the land resources showing that growth is limited, but also with other environmental consequences which our development concepts did not foresee. This is an experience shared by almost all countries in the world.

There is a world-wide increase in the impoverishment of large groups of people. Their livelihood is under serious threat because of the increasing population and the related pressure on land resources. Under these conditions, traditional methods of using and treating flora, fauna, water and soil impose serious risks.

Given the shortage and the excessive exploitation of land resources, the search for effective planning approaches in land resource management started way back in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, participatory planning approaches increasingly replaced the strict technical top-down planning.

The Agenda 21, which was ratified by more than 170 nations at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, mentions frequently that land use planning (LUP) plays a key role in natural resource management. In the case of competing stakes and interests in the use of land, it allows to settle arising conflicts and to conciliate interests in such a way that agreements can be reached which guarantee the sustainability of land resources. In this process, LUP follows an integrated planning approach linking up various sectoral strategies, while at the same time it is closely related to other instruments of natural resource management such as land tenure and property rights.

These guidelines to LUP in the development co-operation are the result of an intensive discussion process with competent partners in the Federal Ministry of Development Co-operation (BMZ), with the German Development Bank (KfW) and with colleagues in the planning and development department of GTZ. Valuable scientific and practical experience and contributions have been incorporated in these guidelines. Despite it specifies a technical standpoint the reader is enabled to form his or her own opinion. It describes the connection between LUP and other spatial and sectoral planning operations, it defines those participating in the planning process, it gives suggestions on how to carry out these processes in various types of projects and it demonstrates how the topic is incorporated in the macro-economic and social structures.

This publication is directed at our colleagues in the development co-operation, who should integrate it into their day-to-day operations. May we take this opportunity to express our appreciation to all our GTZ colleagues at home and abroad as well as to those active in research and education. To us, this teamwork is yet another indicator of that it is necessary and possible to produce meaningful, interdisciplinary work passing the boundaries of divisions and organisations.

Published in German in 1995, the guidelines have now been translated into English. Some updates have been made in the bibliography, however the content remains unchanged and has not lost any validity and importance.

Eschborn, 4.5.1999

D. Albrecht, CIAD, China, M. Abeywickrama, H. Amararathna, X. Backhaus, North Western Province Dry Zone Participatory Development Project, Sri Lanka; M.S. Bakry, Badan Pertanahan Nasional, Indonesia; M. Bartels, Consultant Second Land Resource Evaluation and Planning Project, Indonesia; A. Bartholomäus GTZ; U. Baum KfW; O. Bawa Gaoh, PASP II, Niger; D. Berhe, IGADD, Djibouti; A. Bety, PDRT, Niger; G. Birbaumer, Rio Checua, Columbia; V. Böttcher, GTZ, Nairobi; M. von Boguslawski GASP, Kenya; A. Bourbouze, IAM, France; P.J. Bury RDPP, Zambia; I.S. Coulibaly Proj. PASP II, Niger; O.K. Dah GIRNEM, Mauretania; A. Darga UGO/PNGT, Burkina Faso; H.P. Debelius DED, Ecuador; S. Decurtins HIAP, Tanzania; H. Diedrich Rio Guatiquia, Columbia; P. Djohossou P.G.R.N., Benin; O. Dubois Philippines; E. Dudeck GERENAT, Mali; R. Dutsch LRE San Pedro RPGIRMP, Norte, Paraguay; T. Duve VARENA / ONAT, Burkina Faso; M von Eckert TG-HDP, Thailand; D. Effler ALE, Berlin , E. Eller Philippine - German CEBU Upland Project, Philippines; W. Engelberg DED, Burkina Faso, F. Faiss RRDP Ichilo- Sara, Bolivia; Y. Farka PASPII, Niger; A. Fleddermann Upper Mahaweli Watershed Management Project, Sri Lanka; C. Flores SIG-CORPES, Columbia; R. Förster GTZ; M. Froude MARRP, Zimbabwe; C. Gräfen GTZ; J. Griffin SADP Zambia; R. Gumz RRDP Santa Cruz, Bolivia; H. Häfner PASPII, Niger; A. Hahn GTZ; M.B. Halakhe; Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and Marketing, Kenya; S. Hassane SAP, Niger; F. Hautecoeur HELVETAS, Mali; D. Helmstetter ROUX YVAN, Franc; H. Hertel GTZ; B. Hess Pro Equidad, Columbia; E.Hinojosa CORDECRUZ, Bolivia; C. Huwe HIAP, Tanzania; A. Issa GRN, Niger; B. Jäan Ngobe, Panama; K. Janz, P. Jouve,T. Jungjohann, Transmara Development Programme, Kenya; M. Kampmann GTZ; D. Kehrmann SEGEPLAN, Guatemala; F. Kempf Recursos Naturales, Santa Cruz, Bolivia; P.J. Kimman Social Forestry Development Project, Indonesia; U. Kievelitz GTZ, Nepal; E.J. Kirenga Selous Conservation Program, Tanzania; K. Kollmer Landesamt für Flurordnung und Landesentwicklung, Karlsruhe; B. Krasemann GDS, Kenya; J. Krug Las Verapaces, Guatemala; Kühn ALE, Berlin; W. Kunzel Fiji-German Forestry Project, Fiji; D. Kwesha Forestry Commission, Zimbabwe; P.S. Lamprea Rio Guatiquia, Columbia; H. Lang, M. Larzilliere Commission Financière de Développement, Niger; M. Leupolt GTZ; C. Lobo IG-WDP, India; H. Loos CARD, Zimbabwe; D. Lubecki ALE, Berlin; B. Lüneburg PASPII, Niger; M. Manandhar Churia Forest Development Project, Nepal; G. Meinert Cienaga Grande, Columbia; C. Mersmann GTZ; G. Mertins University of Marburg; U. Mey GTZ, Senegal; W. Moosbrugger, Desertification Control Project of Patagonia, Argentina; B. Mohns Upper Mahaweli Watershed Management Project, Sri Lanka; S. Mwichabe Min. of Land Reclamation, Kenya; P.N. Muchendu Min. of Agriculture, Kenya; S. Mustafa QRDP, Egypt; M. Nchafatso Forestry Division, Lesotho; H. Oebel Atakora, Benin; W. Ohligschläger Corponario, Columbia; A. Ojwang GASP, Kenya; R. von Oven Recursos Naturales Santa Cruz, Bolivia; P. Payet, Niger; G. Payr Siran ,Forest Development Project, Pakistan; T. Petermann DSE; W. Petuelli CILLS, Burkina Faso; A. Pröhl, Chad; G. Ramirez J. SEGEPLAN, Guatemala; M. Ranaivomanana Integrated Forest Development, Madagascar; M. Rapp IP Latina; T. Rauch, W. von Reitzenstein Sucumbios, Ecuador; R. Riethmüller RRDP Kandy, Sri Lanka; C. Roca Ichilo-Sara,Bolivia; R.M. Rochette Club du Sahel, France; F. Rock; NAWACOP, Laos; R. Rogg DED, Berlin; G. Roos, J.C. Sanchez; Los Llanos, Argentina; H. Schmidt; Ministry of Agriculture, Lesotho; M. Schneichel; Bosque Seco, Dominican Republic; H. Schneider CORPONARINO, Columbia; H. Schönwälder Cebu Upland, Philippines; S. Scholaen DED, Philippines; D.E. Schorlemer SAPA, Burkina Faso; B. Seitz, S. Seydou, K.M. Shakya Gorkha Development Project, Nepal; M. Shirima TFAP North Pare, Tanzania; R. Soldansky PRO-Consult; R. Solanilla Rio Checua, Columbia; M. Soriano GIRMP, Philippines; P. Stremplat-Platte GTZ; W. Thees MISEREOR, Aachen; J. Trevino FDC, Bolivia; K.-P. Traub Forestry Commission Veg-RIS, Zimbabwe; T. Vetter QRDP, Egypt; L. Waldmüller SECAP, Tanzania; J.H. Weik GTZ, Jordan; G. Wessling Los Llanos, Argentina; B. Wiese GEOPLAN, H. Woehl Desertification Control Project, Namibia; P. Wolter, D. Yameogo Programme National de Gestion des Terroirs, Burkina Faso; H. Zahorka GTZ, Ethiopia; A. Zarzycki Recursos Naturales, Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

These guidelines are a further step in developing an approach to land use planning (LUP) within the framework of development co-operation. They reflect the present status of the technical discussions initiated in 1992 within the GTZ working group on integrated land use planning (WGLUP).

More than one hundred technical co-operation projects on three continents supported by the various technical departments of GTZ were involved in the discussion. In addition, other agencies of the German Development Co-operation such as the German Development Service (DED) and the German Development Bank (KfW) have been participating in the discussion. Various supra-regional projects of the technical co-operation with strategic objectives are represented in the WGLUP including the pilot project, "Natural Resource Management by Self-Help Approaches" (NARMS), the pilot program "Gender and Women's Promotion" and the project "Desertification Control at the Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel" (OSS). The working group includes consultants and foreign employees, temporary working at the GTZ headquarter. There are close contacts with the Technical University of Berlin and the Faculty of Geography at Marburg University.

The publication of these guidelines would not have been possible without the generous financial support from the projects "Natural Resource Management by Self-Help Approaches" (NARMS), "Desertification Control at the Observatoire du Sahara et du Sahel" (OSS), the pilot program "Gender and Women's Promotion" and the GTZ sector "Rural Regional and Communal Development".

The Working Group would like to express a special thanks to Mr. Ulrich Müller, Mr. Alois Kohler and Mr. Christian Ehrich for their technical contributions and the arrangement of this text.

Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the work carried out, diverse experience and the various points of view have been incorporated in the LUP concept. Each person involved has accentuated his or her areas of importance. The discussion was accompanied by workshops, conferences as well as the discussion and compilation of relevant documents. In 1993 and 1994, six one-week-workshops were held on land use planning throughout the world in four different languages. These are:

• Berlin in July 1993 (in German)
• Kandy, Sri Lanka in October 1993 (in English)
• Villavicencio, Columbia in December 1993 (in Spanish)
• Niamey, Niger in January 1994 (in French)
• Naivasha, Kenya in March 1994 (in English)
• Santa Cruz, Bolivia in October 1994 (in Spanish)

As a result, the workshops have shown that there are both differences and similarities regarding the implementation of land use planning in the different parts of the world. In Asia, a separate working group has been established which held separate meetings in November, 1994 in Cebu, Philippines and in March, 1995 in Bonn, Germany. In addition, a working paper on land use planning focused on Asia has been published.

The continuing discussions on land use planning were also relevant for project formulation missions, for project progress reviews, for developing project offers, and for the training of foreign employees and counterpart staff. Land use planning is an integral part of the seminars on rural regional planning (RRP) held bi-annually and of individual training sessions for foreign employees abroad. In addition, during many informal discussions specific questions were debated and answers sought.

However, the work carried out in four languages has also shown how difficult it is to agree on a terminology for the conception of land use planning which is going to be accepted world-wide. The problems start with the translation of the term: Can land use planning be equated with the West- African "Gestion du Terroir"? or is the correct spanish translation, "Planificacion del Uso de la Tierra", "Planificacion del Uso del Suelo" or "Planificacion del Manejo de los Recursos Naturales"?

With these guidelines, we start an attempt to develop a meaningful understanding, to give guidance and to establish standards in planning land use. In the process of doing so, a certain amount of leeway shall be maintained in order to take regional and local peculiarities into consideration when using the land use planning approach. The concept of LUP considers regional and local conditions in order to meet their peculiarities in an optimal way.

Consequently, Land Use Planning: Methods, Strategies and Tools are rather guidelines than a classic manual offering a blueprint. It brings together important ideas and experiences which should be adapted and applied to the specific working conditions in a project. The application for these guidelines is exclusively targeted at rural regions. Urban centres are therefore not included.

The content is divided into seven chapters, which are assigned to three different subjects. Chapters 1 and 2 define the policy and planning framework of the GTZ-concept to land use planning. Chapter 3 introduces the components for the organisation of an implementation-orientated planning process. Chapters 4 to 7 discuss, some important aspects of implementation and of land use planning in greater detail. Additional questions arising in the various chapters are dealt with in the eight appendices.

A summary and a list of contents for the various sub-chapters can be found at the beginning of each chapter. Examples from projects are integrated into the text. They do not demonstrate how things must be done but rather how they could be done. These guidelines cannot answer all questions, and do not intend to do so, either. The Working Group does not offer its services as a contact partner only, but also refers to experience documented elsewhere. Both standard documents and recent publications have been selected for further references.

1. What is Land Use Planning?
2. Integrating Land Use Planning into Planning Systems
3. Elements of an Implementation-Orientated Planning Process
4. Participation in the Planning Process
5. Implementation in Land Use Planning
6. Project Organisation and Land Use Planning
7. Framework for Land Use Planning