Sustainable Management of Land Resources ─ An Indian Perspective

The depletion of land resources is one of the greatest challenges for mankind in this millennium. Shrinking land resources, weather aberrations, deterioration of land quality, and the globalization and liberalization of market economies have become intertwined to influence the sustainable management of land resources and land use plans. This important volume, Sustainable Management of Land Resources: An Indian Perspective, addresses these challenges. This comprehensive volume, covering important research, much of it gathered with the use of new technology, tools, and applications, is organized into four sections: (add bullets)

• land resource inventory and characterization
• geospatial technologies in land resource mapping and management
• soil nutrient status and management
• land use planning and livelihood security

The volume looks at how scientists translate their knowledge and experience in sustainable land resources and management into implementable policy decisions, with a particular focus on India. Since India is an agrarian economy, the land resources assume a very critical role affecting the livelihood of a vast majority of populace in the country. The information gathered—and the methods by which it is gathered—is applicable globally.

This comprehensive publication will be highly useful for the researchers, academicians, extension workers, policymakers, planners, officials of land resources survey, planning and management institutions/agencies/departments, and others.

G. P. Obi Reddy, PhD, is a Principal Scientist in the Division of Remote Sensing Applications, ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSS&LUP), Nagpur, India. He teaches courses on geomorphology, remote sensing and GIS applications in land resource management. He has published more than 65 research articles in peer-reviewed national and international journals. Some of his other publications include Soil Erosion of Goa, Degraded and Wastelands of India-Status and Spatial Distribution, Acid Soils of India: Their Extent and Spatial Variability, Assessment of Soil Loss for Prioritization of Sub-watersheds: A Remote Sensing and GIS Approach, Remote Sensing and GIS in Digital Terrain Analysis and Soil-Landscape Modeling. Currently he is the Honorary Secretary of the Indian Society of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning. In recognition of his outstanding contributions in applications of geospatial technologies and tools in management of the soil resources database of national importance, the Indian Society of Remote Sensing conferred on him the 2007 Indian National Geospatial Award and 2013 National Geospatial Award for Excellence. His areas of specialization include remote sensing and GIS applications in geomorphology, digital terrain analysis, landform mapping, soil-landscape modeling, land use/land cover studies, watershed characterization, land resource management, and design and development of soil information systems. He obtained his doctoral degree in geography from Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, India, and later he joined the Agriculture Research Service (ARS).

N. G. Patil, PhD, is a Principal Scientist whose specialization is soil and water conservation engineering. Later he joined Agriculture Research Service (ARS) and since then he has been an active researcher in different institutions of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. He has more than 24 years of research experience covering different facets of natural resources management. He has worked extensively in the field of soil hydraulics and agriculture water management and land use planning. His contributions in building the Geo-referenced Soil Information System of the country through the development of pedotransfer functions are well recognized. His research contributions have been published in highly reputed international and national journals. He also serves as an editor and reviewer for many international journals published from USA, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Currently he is an Editor-in-Chief of the Indian Society of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning. He obtained a BTech (agricultural engineering) from Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Rahuri (Maharashtra) in 1988. He also studied at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, for masters degree in technology during 1988-90.

Arun Chaturvedi, PhD, is a Principal Scientist and Head, Division of Land Use Planning at ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur, India. His specialization is in land use planning, remote sensing, and GIS. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Bhoo-Vigyan Vikas Foundation, New Delhi, and was a member of UNEP-CSE committee for "Alternative Approaches to Urban Development" during 1984-85, as well as a member of the DSTE Committee for project formulation and evaluation. He worked as member of the Working Group for the UNESCO-NCERT Panel on Educational Films on Environment during June 1986. He has received several awards, including the Bhoo-Vigyan Sammaan from the Bhoo-Vigyan Vikas Foundation during 2005; the CLUMA Award during 2005 from the Center for Land Use and Management, Hyderabad; and a NAGI Citation during 2000 from the National Association of Geographers, India. He has held many important roles, including founding Joint Secretary of the Indian Society of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (1986–1988); Honorary Secretary of the Indian Society of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (2003–2005); Chairman of the Commission on Digital Mapping Techniques, NAGI (2002–2006); Vice President of the National Association of Geographers, India (1999-2000); President of the Indian Society of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning; and Vice President of the Soil Conservation Society of India (present). He has three books and more than 50 research papers to his credit.