Mark Deakin - Methodologies, Models and Instruments for Rural and Urban Land Management

Throughout the last decade, environmental issues have become increasingly important in all aspects of rural and urban development. Added to this is the increasing pressure being experienced virtually throughout the world upon urban areas as a result of migration from rural regions. Much of this pressure is in the peri-urban areas, although as the result of an increasingly urbanised population many of the policies that are being formulated at governmental levels are viewed by rural dwellers as having an increasingly urban emphasis.

This book identifies many of the problems relating to rural and urban development at the beginning of the 20th century and considers certain methodologies, models and instruments that may be used to reduce conflicts in the development process. The book is a presentation of edited papers that were presented at the Second International Land Management Conference, which took place at Danbury, Essex in 1999. Certain papers were selected for inclusion within this book and have been updated, extensively reviewed, edited, and revised in the context of land management and land administration.

The first group of papers considers the importance of co-operation and partnerships, institutional aspects, and the importance of education and training. The framework is set by Home in , who outlines the importance of partnerships and planning in the context of the development of the Thames Estuary. The concept of partnerships is very relevant in the case of many geographical entities since they often extend beyond normal administrative boundaries, whether they are local, regional, national, or transnational. Home examines the evolution and types of partnerships that are relevant to rural and urban development although the main thrust of this chapter is upon their relevance to the formulation and implementation of a strategy for a specific purpose.

In the following chapter, McEwen provides an overview of the importance of legal and institutional aspects in the context of land reform. This chapter considers the philosophical questions of land ownership and land use by taking a number of specific examples, ranging from the First Nations of Canada, to the situation in countries as geographically diverse as Zanzibar and Mongolia. McEwen considers that the legal instruments relating to land should reflect both the customary practices and the will of the people, factors that have been neglected by many consultants in transitional countries over the past 15 years. He provides many interesting case studies based upon his very wide experience. The importance of institutions is similarly emphasised since their availability is the key to land reform and land development. McEwen considers that local institutions are essential in maintaining links with the people, a role somewhat similar to that of the partnerships described by Home. The final point made in this chapter is the role and importance of technology, particularly the interrelationship between the application of modern technology and the availability of trained operators, a factor that should be noted by those involved in training and education throughout the world.

The role of education and training in international land management is the theme of Mansberger and Heine who consider that the responsibility of knowledge-transfer lies in the hands of a multiplicity of organisations, ranging from governments through to the deliverers in the form of educational institutions. The authors emphasise that land management is a complex discipline that requires knowledge from a wide range of fields. In order to fulfil the functions of land management, it is important for those being educated or trained to understand the inter-relationship between technologies and methodologies. However, they also have to be aware of the availability and nature of data needed to model and simulate particular situations. Underpinning this is an awareness and appreciation of the relevance and nature of adequate legal instruments pertaining to models and the development of the rural and urban infrastructures. One of the key recommendations of this chapter is the need for constant and continuing vocational training to keep practitioners abreast of current improvements in technology, data processing, planning methods, and legal instruments.