Land Resources, Management, Planning and Use

Land and Land Resources refer to a delineable area of the earth's terrestrial surface, encompassing all attributes of the biosphere immediately above or below this surface, including those of the near-surface, climate, the soil and terrain forms, the surface hydrology (including shallow lakes, rivers, marshes and swamps), the near-surface sedimentary layers and associated groundwater and geohydrological reserve, the plant and animal populations, the human settlement pattern and physical results of past and present human activity (terracing, water storage or drainage structures, roads, buildings, etc.) (FAO/UNEP, 1997).

The Land Tenure and Management Unit undertakes the following activities in land resources:

Promotes the development of cost-effective methods for land and soil survey and classification including testing and identification of soil constraints, criteria and methods for assessment of land degradation and sustainable land management and monitoring trends.

Promotes and provides documentation, information and technical guidance for the assessment, conservation and productive management of land resources.

Promotes the development and harmonisation of land evaluation methodology, land use analysis, land degradation assessments, agro-ecological zoning, indicators of land quality and criteria for monitoring land use systems and works towards their application through participatory land use planning approaches.

Promotes soil and land use classification and correlation methodologies and mapping. Maintains a database and web-based information system on land resources and land use at national and regional level for comparative studies and analysis.

Advises governments and other stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of appropriate land use and land management policies, strategies and action plans.

Co-operates with UN and specialised agencies, international and national bodies, non-governmental organisations and the private sector to support sustainable and productive land use and land management practices.

Contributes to the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Rio Conventions and assists member countries in the preparation of National Action Plans that address sustainable use of land resources use and food security goals.

Supports member countries in the formulation and implementation of sustainable land and ecosystems management programmes/projects, with attention to land productivity, degradation, problem soils, biodiversity and climate change issues as well as emergency and relief operations.

EVS's environmental scientists conduct environmental impact statements to help the nation create a framework for developing renewable energy capabilities on public lands.
The energy development needed to fuel our technologically advanced society requires informed evaluations of the effects on our fragile environment. Researchers in the EVS Division address this need by conducting rich and thorough analyses to create a framework for identifying the areas of public lands that are best suited for solar, wind, and geothermal projects. In this work, we study land and resource management and planning, renewable resource development, and sustainability of resource management. We also assess environmental, social, and economic impacts.

Natural Resource Economics and Systems Analysis

EVS studies the role of energy and other natural resources in the economy, assesses and develops more sustainable methods for managing these resources, and analyzes environmental and energy policies related to fossil, nuclear, and renewable energy technologies. For example, we analyze the life cycles of energy technologies and evaluate the impacts of air emissions. In addition, we determine water impacts and constraints on energy development and the sustainability of energy and environmental systems.

Land Management
To address issues related to land management and land use planning, EVS analyzes appropriate resource use and allocation, potential impacts of management decisions, and mechanisms for protecting and restoring resources, both onshore and offshore.

In this effort, we conduct integrated assessments of federal energy development programs, as well as environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic impact analyses including identification of effective mitigation measures. In addition, we develop geospatial and visualization technologies for assessing land management issues.

Cultural and Visual Resources

EVS develops innovative, effective methods for characterizing and mitigating impacts to cultural and visual resources from energy development and other activities. We analyze related issues of particular interest to Native American tribes, and we support federal agencies in their obligatory consultations with tribes.