The usage of unmanned aerial vehicle technology in participatory land use planning and mapping

Abstract:

Participatory Land Use Planning (PLUP) requires the active involvement of the local stakeholders and the village tract communities. The use of Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in mapping and planning land uses, is an emerging and efficient technology for acquiring thematic spatial data for participatory land use planning and mapping at village or township levels. The use of UAVs was preferred for cost-effectively collecting quality geospatial data and information at very high resolution in a flexible, participatory and transparent manner in NyaungU and Kyaukpaduang townships at Village tract level. Data collected using the UAVs included; aerial imagery for mapping of village boundaries, land use, land cover, infrastructure, public facilities and utilities, point cloud data for creating digital terrain models. The same participatory procedures were used in the great delta of Ayeyarwady Region in Labutta Township and in the upland areas of Mindat and Kanteplet Townships in Chin State. The usage of UAV technology enhanced the participatory process by enabling identification of visible land use types, crop types, infrastructure, facilities and delineable boundaries by the local non-technical village participants. This information was used in the PLUP process at several stages namely; the preparation stage, Mapping existing land uses and other features (infrastructure, utilities, and facilities, delineating village boundary), Mapping of proposed land use sites, i.e. community forest sites, and delineating land tenure systems in the selected project sites.