Land Use Planning is becoming one of the most important areas that communities’need to be well versed with says the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) Jimi Saelea.
Speaking at the Community- Based Land Use Planning Training of Trainers Workshop which is currently underway at the Iron Bottom Sound Hotel in Honiara Mr Saelea highlighted some of the important areas the workshop is trying to address.
He said, land use planning is becoming one of the most important areas that communities need to be well versed with in order to counteract ormitigate against some of the negative effects of development such as logging, mining, unsustainable agriculture, urbanization, infrastructure development as well as effects of natural forces such as climate change.
“Most communities are not aware of the fundamental aspects of their land system to make informed decision on how best to use their lands when confronted by all these forces.
“In most cases communities are at the receiving end since they do not have the knowledge to make decisions which are best for them.
“This capacity-bound organizing frame work enables communities determine their important development goals by using the process to assess their local environment, soil system, biodiversity, and identify possible threats and risks which can be managed to minimized disasters”, he said.
The basic of land use planning under this programme has been developed with community involvement giving the programme a bottom up approach.
Parts of Choiseul, Malaita, and Isabel and Makira provinces have already undergone the community based planning workshops.
The workshop which kicked off on Monday will end on tomorrow.
By BIRIAU WILSON SAENI
