Land Use Planning is an integral tool in the operationalization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Introduced by the United Nations in 2015, the SDGs provide a global framework to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. Land Use Planning, on the other hand, is the systematic assessment of land and water potential, alternatives for land use, and economic and social conditions in order to select and adopt the best land-use options. Its intersection with SDGs becomes clear as land is an essential resource for achieving many of the 17 goals. Land Use Planning, for instance, can contribute to Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) by ensuring agricultural lands are used sustainably. It can help in achieving Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by guiding urban development towards less sprawl and more density, reducing land consumption and fostering better use of infrastructure. Goal 15 (Life on Land) can be addressed by designating protected areas and controlling land uses that could harm biodiversity. Even SDG 13 (Climate Action) is intertwined with Land Use Planning, as land-use decisions impact greenhouse gas emissions, either through changing the balance of carbon sinks and sources, or influencing transport-related emissions. Therefore, the essence of sustainable land management in the context of the SDGs is to harmonize the various land uses with the capacity of the land to supply goods and services without degrading its quality, productivity, and function. By integrating SDGs into their frameworks, land use planning can serve as a mechanism for achieving sustainability at different scales, from local to global.
Ethiopia has experienced rapid urbanization over the past three decades. Several cities expanded rapidly and many satellite towns sprung up around the major cities. The high rate of urbanization and urban growth resulted in high demand for urban land, mainly for industrial, commercial, and residential purposes. In order to meet the demand, an enormous amount of land has been made available for urban use, mainly through land conversion. However, we know very little about how efficiently cities use urban land.
Tracking progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires monitoring of various social-ecological indicators over space and time, including the ratio of land consumption rate to population growth rate (LCRPGR), an indicator of land-use efficiency (SDG 11.3.1). In this study, we analyzed state-of-the-art Earth observation data (1975–2015) to address three key questions. First, how has the LCRPGR varied over space and time? Second, how is built-up expansion related to population increase across regions?
Climate, land use and land cover (LULC) changes are among the primary driving forces of soil loss. Decoupling their effects can help in understanding the magnitude and trend of soil loss in response to human activities and ecosystem management. Here, the RUSLE model was applied to estimate the spatial-temporal variations of soil loss rate in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) area during 2001–2015, followed by a scenario design to decouple the effects of climate and LULC changes. The results showed that increasing rainfall generated as much as 2.90 × 107 t soil loss in the TGR area.
