Volume 1 Issue 1 (2025)

Increase in multiple demands for land in Africa has been affected by increased global food and energy require‑ments together with population growth. This has in turn led to large‑scale acquisition of lands for agriculture by foreigners and wealthy local investors. Small holder farmers are at risk of losing their lands to the investors even if they receive government support. This often marginalizes the local people, undermines their livelihood and collides with the African indigenous tradition which sees land as a gift of God. Asinformation on the factors and actors in land commoditization is inadequate and often withheld, one purpose of this paper is to identify these actors and factors. The Bolga Municipality is used as an example because it carries all the characteristics that can be found throughout most of Africa. Data was gathered using key informant interviews, focus discussion and secondary sources. The findings of the study reveal that people sell their lands because they need to pay school fees, to build and live in decent houses, to expense money for upholding the tradition of resplendently celebrating funerals, to raise funds for the dowry of a bride, and because owners of small land parcels are often unemployed. To solve all this, better information is needed as well as purposeful job‑creation to decrease unemployment and socially adequate mortgages. As social cohesion depends on full inclusivity and accessibility for all who are affected by land deals, the government must take up the problem in a holistic manner.

Rainfall‑runoff modeling is a critical component of hydrological studies, aiding in analyzing river basin responses to climatic variations. This paper examines the rainfall‑runoff behaviour of the Hamp River Basin, part of the Mahanadi River System, using the Soil andWater Assessment Tool (SWAT). SWAT, a physically based, continuous‑time model, predicts land management effects on water, sediment and agricultural yields in large watersheds. This study calibrates and validates SWAT for the Hamp River Basin to assess its effectiveness in simulating stream flow. Additionally, it explores the implications of land management policies on hydrological processes, examining policy‑model interactions to understand regulatory impacts on runoff and sediment yield. Simulated policy scenarios predict hydrological changes under different land management strategies. By integrating socio‑economic characteristics, the study analyses hydrological changes affecting local communities, particularly regarding land use and agricultural sustainability. Soil conservation strategies are evaluated to recommend measures for mitigating sediment loss and enhancing resource conservation. The Hamp River watershed, within the Seonath sub‑basin of the upper Mahanadi basin, was studied to estimate sediment yield and nutrient loss. Critical agricultural sub‑watersheds and associated Hydrological Response Units (HRUs) were identified using ArcSWAT. The area was divided into 16 sub‑watersheds based on topographical features from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and drainage networks. Land cover, soil and DEM data were used to create HRUs, enabling annual runoff analysis across calibration and validation periods (2017–2023).

This study rigorously investigates the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater in Paderu Mandal, an enclave of tribal life in Andhra Pradesh, India, through a comprehensive GIS‑based analysis of 83 water samples collected from open wells and bore wells. The study examines key parameters such as pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Hardness (TH), Turbidity, Chloride (Cl₂⁻), Sulphate (SO₄²⁻), Fluoride (F⁻), Nitrate (NO₃⁻), and Iron (Fe). Standardized methodologies are employed to evaluate these samples against the World Health Organization (WHO) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) benchmarks, assessing water safety and suitability. Spatial distribution mapping reveals contamination hotspots and zones adhering to water quality norms, offering insights into potential contamination sources. The study further explores groundwater quality implications on land productivity, irrigation potential, and sustainable land use, linking contamination risks to soil degradation and agricultural viability. Correlation matrices, Hill‑Piper diagrams, and irrigation suitability indices provide deeper insights into the intricate interactions between groundwater constituents and land resource management. The findings serve as a critical foundation for groundwater protection policies, land conservation strategies, and sustainable resource management in Paderu Mandal. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions to mitigate water quality deterioration and ensure long‑term environmental and agricultural sustainability.

Land is essential for the flourishing of human civilizations. It is a complex interplay of natural processes, socio-economic dynamics, and environmental sustainability. Hence, it influences policy, research, and practice. This study critically reviews the literature about the challenges and issues currently explored for sustainable development in global land use systems based on an extensive bibliographic database from the Web of Science. It explores the complex world of global land use system development, examining research trends, tools, and future directions. This study’s findings indicate that current research trends emphasize the use of emerging digital technologies, including geospatial and informatics techniques, Geo-detectors, regression models, artificial intelligence, and socio-economic models. These tools are instrumental in addressing the challenges posed by land use change at various scales. They enable us to effectively identify, track, and enhance our understanding of the sustainability, science, and management of land use systems. The studies reviewed offer valuable support for initiatives aimed at adopting innovative theories, methods, instruments, and procedures to tackle land use and sustainability issues related to natural resources globally. Furthermore, new fields within land use systems are increasingly recognized for their potential to transform traditional practices, strengthen urban-rural linkages, and contribute to the realization of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. This recognition stems from the multidisciplinary nature of the discipline.