Baseline Report for the Zambezi Integrated Regional Land-use Plan, (Vol. 1)

Abstract

The Zambezi Integrated Regional Land-use Plan (IRLUP) is one of five land-use plans based on the new modelling process adopted by the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement (MLR). One of the main objectives of an IRLUP is to find the land use that is most sustainable for a region, in terms of both environmental and economic sustainability. The various advantages and disadvantages of land use needs to be weighed against factors such as environmental protection and economic growth. Ultimately, the land use should bring benefits to the people living in the region. A land use bringing perceived benefits to the people of the region might not always be the best land use in terms of sustainability, thereby an equal balance needs to be found when assessing the most suitable land use for an area.