AN APPROACH TO LAND-USE PLANNING IN A HILLY WATERSHED USING GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION-SYSTEMS

Abstract

The eco-socio-economic balance of a region can be preserved by proper land-use planning, particularly in hilly watersheds where erosion caused by rainfall is an ever-present threat. This paper describes a methodology developed to compile a treatment-oriented land-use planning scheme for a hilly watershed using a geographical information system (GIS). A remote sensing based physiographic soils map and a digital elevation model (DEM) are the sources of soil depth and slope steepness classes, respectively, and are the information databases for GIS analysis. The GIS was used to integrate these databases and provide tools for manipulation of the data. A set of knowledge-based rules was formed from the classification scheme formulated by Sheng and Stennett (1975) for hilly watersheds, modified to allow for the local land-use patterns. These rules were used to manipulate the databases and allow the establishment of a sustained land-use system in the watershed with proper soil and water conservation measures. This biological engineering scheme would be a safeguard against soil erosion and other environmental threats. A priority sub-watersheds delineation survey conducted in the watershed indicates significant variation in the silt yield index values, which calls for conservation planning in earnest in cases of high and very high priority sub-watersheds.