Mapping of Land Use System, Degradation & Sustainable Land Management

Indonesia is a developing country that is threatened by considerable pressure of population, land conversion and economic growth. Consequently, this leads to overexploitation of soil and water resources, what results in degradation of ecosystems. The cultivation of steep mountainous areas and increased soil erosion is a consequence. There is an alarming rate of soil erosion in the Ciwidey sub watershed which is part of the upper Citarum watershed in West Java. The goal of this research thesis is to map the prevailing land use systems, land degradation and conservation in Ciwidey sub watershed. More specifically this spatial assessment aims at examining the area- and intensity-trends of land use system, the types, cause, extent, degree, rate of land degradation, and the effectiveness of sustainable land management technologies. In addition, the impacts of land use systems on ecosystem services are to be assessed. The synthesis of the obtained information and field observation leads to define hot spots of degrading and bright spots of conserved areas. Based on the gained knowledge and generated maps further planning of initiatives and decision making towards sustainable land management can be supported.