Environmental Issues

Problem statement
As population grows there is an increased pressure placed on land.  The article addresses the issues of urban growth taking up agricultural land space and the effects it has on a changing economy and urban and agricultural landscape. The article The need for preserving farmland.  A case study from a predominantly agrarian economy looks at this problem and areas that need to be measured and controlled and methods to do this.

The study was based on a city in India the significance of the problem is that 70 of the populations occupation is agriculture.  As population grows and new industries are introduced a significant amount of land is lost.  This infringes on communities and the capabilities to sustain those communities with the changes in land use.  The urban shadow effect.

The literature the report draws on is the census, and geographical information.  There is an issue however in that the growth of urban development is so rapid that geographical information is forever changing and this makes a study and implementation of appropriate policy measures difficult.

Findings
The study was done over a 10 year period using Arial and satellite photographs to show urban expansion and using GIS techniques.  Coupled this enabled an accurate report to enable and improve planners in the decision processes.

The findings of the report show that rapid changes in land use are occurring and the quality of arable land is being affected.  Rural inhabitants are moving into other industries and urban areas. Incentives must be given to maintain farming as an industry to sustain population growth.

What the report appears to lack in its findings is substantial evidence as to whether as a developing nation urban expansion and a change in economy may in the long term benefit agricultural communities.  For instance the report clearly states that the agricultural sector was declining economically and so urban expansion increased the cost of land and therefore it was economically more viable for land owners to sell instead of retaining the land for agrarian activity.  Neither does the report in great deal address the effects that urban growth has on the environment.