Thesis (M. Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 1996

A thesis repo1t submitted in pa1tial fulfilhnent of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science, School of Environment, Resources and Development

Land use planning is a very imp01tant issue in Laos. In Sangthong Distiict a forest training site was established to be a model and for training at the Vientiane Forestry Collage. But a large pa1t of this area of the forest is degraded because of the past logging and the shifting cultivation. On this basis, this area was selected to be the study area for sustainable land use planning. By applying remote sensing data and Geographic Inf01mation System (GIS), land evaluation was conducted based on the physical (lanM01m and soil) and biological (vegetation and land cover) characteiistics together with socio-economic data. The methodology of land suitability classification was based on the FAO system. In the classification, the weights of different parameters were assigned according to the parameters' degree of imp01tance. The land use planning was based on the suitability as well as socioeconomic condition of the given land use. Through this study, it is hoped that it will cont1ibute to improving the living conditions of the local people and that the conservation of natural resources such as soil, water and forest will gain added significance and support.