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Education/Research
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Exploring ILWIS capabilities for rural land use analysis
Sally Lim
Department of Geography
University Brunei Darussalam
Gadon, 3186, Brunei Darussalam
Abstract
This paper argues the case for the use of remotely sensed data in human geographic analysis in very specific circumstances. In this case, Brunei represents a small state which faces some difficulties in the gathering of information and data especially of its rural areas. The existing database is scanty and, in some cases out-of-date.
The capabilities of the raster analysis module of ILWIS (Integrated and Land water information system) was explored to provide a platform for explaining the relationship between the land use patterns and the development of the community in Labi, a rural region of Brunei. By (MCalc), it was feasible to integrate tabular and spatial databases and map the complexity of factors that contribute to the patterns of land use of the study area.
The database was derived from the HRV SPOT image, secondary data sources and ground observations. The land cover and land use mapping unit (CUMU) module to analyze the relationships between the land cover, land use and mapping units was based on the work of Wilem van Wijngaarden and Andre Kooiman (1988). The Accuracy was much enhanced by the extensive and clearly defined nature of landuse in the study area.
Introduction
A variety of environmental and human attributes govern the use of land in a development area. Thus, it can be argued that development planning will be more successful if planners have access to up-to-date knowledge of the development region in question, such as changes in the nature and pattern of land use. The research, of which this paper is a part, illustrates a method of extracting and collating valuable information about a rural environment which can contribute towards rural planning and development decisions.
The study of the land use structures of Kampong Labi and is surroundings, a rural area in Brunei, states a case for a gradation towards a pattern of fragmented agricultural land use. To what extent is this process a spontaneous response to the natural environment? Or is there any evidence of the effect of an ad hoc development effort? In what ways have the local community responded to development policy?
One of the difficulties of establishing the trends and patterns of agricultural activities, the degree of land fragmentation and the permanency of land use in this community is the lack of recorded information. Given the peripherality of the rural sector to the national economy of Brunei, institutional records are accordingly infrequently updated. While, in relation to this study, the perceptions of the local community make a major contribution to the analysis, a verification and comparison element is necessary to gain greater insights into the relationships between the community and the use of land. In such an instance, deductions derived from a multispectral image analysis helps to draw out some of the issues and to explain the status and trends of the use of land. This research uses SPOT data on ILWIS to establish the database for analysis.
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