Land use : Geography

Land use refers to the use of land for different purposes such as agriculture, forestry, and mining, building houses, roads and setting up of industries.

The use is sustainable when it does not cause any harm or damage to the land and vice versa. Land use must be planned and organised specially if it is in state park or private property.

Factors affecting land use are of two kinds-

• Physical factors: Physical factors include topography, soil, climate and availability of water
• Human factors: Human factors include population and technology.

On the basis of ownership, land can be classified as private and community land. Private land is owned by an individual or family members and is used for personal purposes like house is a private land.

Community land is owned by the community for common uses and can be used by anyone in the society like collection of fodder, fruits, nuts or medical herbs. These community lands are also called common property resources.

The demand for land by the people is growing butthe availability of land is limited.