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Urbanization is the main force of the global environmental as well as land use land cover changes (LULC). Urbanization is caused by prompt increase in population growth, migration, and urge for employment. In this study, Geographic Information System (GIS) was applied for the analysis and representation of spatio-temporal changes in LULC in Peshawar district and these results were linked with environmental aspects and Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework approaches. For LULC classification, the Landsat freely available satellite imageries were used. The analysis revealed that the vegetation cover has increased from 37.8% of the total area to 71.3% during 1990–2020 and this change in vegetation is attributed to the government initiatives of Billion Tree Tsunami afforestation project after 2014 which has substantially decreased the barren land (from 66% in 1990 to 19% in 2020) in southeastern part of Peshawar district. Although, there was reduction in the vegetation cover in the past but due to extensive plantation between 2014 and 2020 resulted rapid increase in vegetation cover in the study area. The results of the present study detected a remarkable increase in built-up area which has increased almost 224.6% from 1990 to 2020. The study area population has increased from 2.12 million during 1998 to 4.26 million in 2017. The DPSIR results revealed that drivers and pressure have adverse effects on the carrying capacity of natural resources which have resulted deterioration of ecosystem. The resulted reduced capacity leading towards land degradation, loss of agricultural land, decline the groundwater level and resulted in pluvial flooding in Peshawar district. Government and environmental protection agency should implement the land use bylaws to reduce the rapid and unplanned urban growth and its negative impacts on natural environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dehesas and montados are Mediterranean agroforestry systems characterized by scattered oak trees with an understory grazed extensively by livestock and, in some cases, periodically cropped. A long history of traditional management practices has created an open woodland widely recognized for rich biodiversity and multiple ecosystem services. Concerns about challenges to their longterm viability have motivated many disparate scientific studies in recent decades. We provide a synthesis of this growing body of international literature, focusing on the links between land use and management practices, biodiversity, and policy, from a "high nature value farming systems" perspective. The present review comprises 128 empirical studies carried out in Spain and Portugal. Conservation trends were assessed according to categories adapted from the DPSIR (Drivers - Pressures - State - Impacts - Responses) framework. Socio-cultural factors, economic dynamics, and agricultural policies were found to be key drivers of change, resulting in intensification of livestock production and land use simplification, among other effects. Insufficient tree regeneration and a broad range of other factors were identified as pressures that have often negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem services, moving the system away from its archetypical ecological state. A variety of management and policy responses were suggested, ranging from specific conservation techniques to landscape-level initiatives. Ecosystem components and management practices were typically studied separately, and mainly from an ecological science perspective, while inter- and transdisciplinary approaches including examination of the role of people were less common. This points to a need to move from single-topic to landscape-level approaches with a broader integration of different disciplines and perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activities such as urban densification, soil sealing and the spread of service infrastructure are altering the quality and quantity of ecosystems. They are depleting natural capital, like water supply and air quality, on which society depends. To preserve natural capital, the European Commission is promoting new land-use policies, one of which is Green Infrastructure (GI). It has been postulated that GI planning can promote sustainable land-use by supporting a wide range of ecosystem services. Research conducted in the GREEN SURGE project (FP7-ENV.2013.6.2-5-603567) has suggested that a number of tangible benefits accrue when GI planning is implemented at different spatial scales. In support of this, GI has been conceptualized in a case study in Southern Italy using the Driving force–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework. This framework was employed to promote the GI approach with the aim of ensuring sustainable land development without compromising natural capital. In fact, the DPSIR framework used in the case study shows how GI, through the provision of ecosystem services, is a response to various critical environmental issues. Despite known limitations as reported in the literature, the DPSIR framework was selected for its simplicity in representing and reporting the interactions between the environment and society. Given the complexity of environmental issues and the presence of various stakeholders involved in decision-making processes, DPSIR provides planning professionals with a streamlined tool to develop strategic solutions for sustainable land-use and for promoting societal wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provisioning ecosystem services of Likangala River catchment located in Southern Malawi provides food, construction materials, fuel-wood, timber, ornamental products and water for its inhabitants. However, poor land use practices, deforestation and exploitation of natural resources by local communities have negative impact on the ecosystem services. The aim of this study was to evaluate land cover changes from 1984 to 2013 and how the changes may affect provisioning ecosystem services. Remote sensing techniques were used to inventory temporal changes of land use changes in the catchment and the Drivers, Pressures, States, Impacts, Responses (DPSIR) framework was used to explain the complexity of such changes. The analysis of land use maps indicate that deforestation, river bank cultivation, pollution and over extraction of natural resources were threatening sustainability of provisioning ecosystem services in Likangala River catchment. Land use/land cover change detection between 1984 and 2013 revealed that woodlands have decline by 88.5%, shrublands have declined by 16.7%, agricultural areas have increased by 44.3% and urban areas increased by 143%. The study revealed that the main drivers of change in this catchment are the demand for agricultural land as population grows. The pressures identified are expansion of agricultural land, construction materials, medicinal plants, wood and waste generation. The impacts include declining provisioning ecosystem services, water borne diseases and biodiversity loss through loss of habitats from land use and land cover change. As a response, the study noted that reducing deforestation, enforcement of buffers along river banks, waste management for improving water quality, improving sanitation, providing civic education to communities could assist in improving the state of the catchment. The study highlights the integration of remote sensing techniques for land cover change detection and the use of focus group discussions to capture the understanding and responses of the community to ecosystem degradation in order to achieve the outcome of an ecologically sustainable society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

System thinking and integrated research are widely applied approaches in environmental management, often facilitating the organization of information from different levels and sources. They are here applied to support the review of (1) political and management instruments and (2) elements that characterize the Bahia de Cádiz Nature Park (Spain). The latter objective is sustained by the DPSIR (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) framework. A first DPSI conceptual map offers a broader view of the park capturing a range of elements that act at global, national and regional levels. Next, through expert consultation, prioritized DPSI issues describing the current situation of Bahia de Cádiz Nature Park are highlighted. A second DPSI map is designed to explore specific land-use and land-cover changes and their effects on the park's ecological integrity, offering a greater level of detail. 'Responses' are discussed separately, through a review of most recent response actions that have originated at various levels, and future ones proposed by the park's management. The framework proves to be appropriate to identify elements from both social and environmental dimensions, but excludes global-scale elements that do not fit the scope of this analysis. The review hopes to support future integrated research initiatives, involving in-depth analysis though the use of tools as are indicators or models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of science-based tools for impact assessment has increasingly gained focus in addressing the complexity of interactions between environment, society, and economy. For integrated assessment of policies affecting land use, an analytical framework was developed. The aim of our work was to apply the analytical framework for specific scenario cases and in combination with quantitative and qualitative application methods. The analytical framework was tested for two cases involving the ex ante impact assessment of: (1) a European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) financial reform scenario employing a modeling approach and combined with a comprehensive indicator analysis and valuation; and (2) a regional bioenergy policy scenario, employing a fully participatory approach. The results showed that European land use in general is less sensitive to changes in the Common Agricultural Policy, but in the context of regions there can be significant impacts on the functions of land use. In general, the implementation of the analytical framework for impact assessment proved to be doable with both methods, i.e., with the quantitative modeling and with the qualitative participatory approach. A key advantage of using the system of linked quantitative models is that it makes possible the simultaneous consideration of all relevant sectors of the economy without abstaining from a great level of detail for sectors of particular interest. Other advantages lie in the incontestable character of the results. Based on neutral, existing data with a fixed set of settings and regions, an absolute comparability and reproducibility throughout Europe can be maintained. Analyzing the pros and cons of both approaches showed that they could be used complementarily rather than be seen as competing alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study has been performed in order to evaluate the land use changes and related environmental impacts which occurred in recent decades in the Lamone river basin (Northern Italian Apennines). Using the DPSIR indicator-based approach, agricultural land use changes and conversions occurred within the periods 1976–1994 and 1994–2003, have been associated with the shortage of water in the river and the modification of the landscape structure. Results show that Lamone river basin in 1976 was mainly dominated by forest (27.4%) and cropland (32.3%) and through the entire period the valley presented a strong persistence of land uses and the main conversions detected are afforestation and agricultural intensification. The hydrological balance analysis results indicate that the agricultural intensification process produced a water deficit in summer periods equal to 0.89mlnm3 in 2003. The landscape of the Lamone valley became more homogeneous, showing a decrease in diversity (Shannon Diversity Index values decreased from 1.81 to 1.58) and the riparian corridor became more human-dominated (Human Habitat values increased from 0.61 to 0.77). An integrated assessment of possible management options has been conducted, using the MULINO-DSS software as a support. Thirteen different management scenarios have been produced in order to solve the water balance issue and to enhance the riparian corridor. Attributing equal weight to the environmental, social and economical criteria, the best solution corresponds to the sole creation of artificial basins and the actual situation is placed at position 8 (out of 13). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper provides an analysis of the land use dynamics observed in the Brazilian part of La Plata Basin (BR-LPB) from 1988 to 2018, including major crops such as maize, soybean, wheat, and sugarcane. It also assesses the perception of farmers and other stakeholders on climate change effects and the design of adaptation strategies. Two case studies were carried out and the DPSIR (Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response) conceptual framework was used to structure the complex relationships driving current land use dynamics in BR-LPB. The first case was an assessment of land use change based on the cultivated area of annual and semi-perennial crops over the whole BR-LPB, using macro-spatial data from 1988 to 2018. The second case consisted of a survey carried out in the municipality of Anchieta to assess at local level if land use change has been driven by the perception of farmers on climate change and its effects. When contrasted with changes on average annual temperature and precipitation for the same time period, the results show that land use dynamics in the BR-LPB as a whole was mostly driven by an increased global demand for food commodities rather than by climate effects, whereas at local level the perception of farmers on climate change effects has already influenced the adoption of adaptation strategies. No evidences were found that climate dynamics has significantly influenced the geography of agricultural land use in the BR-LPB in this period. While using the DPSIR framework, the results of both case studies highlight important inter-relationships allowing a comprehensive overview on how land use change in the BR-LPB is related to some major drivers (e.g. population growth, growing demand of agricultural products, and droughts) and how they might influence the design of purposeful adaptation responses and policy making. • No evidence was found for climate-driven land use change in the BR-LPB to date. • Population growth and food demand have been the major drivers of land use change. • Farmers' perception on climate change influenced the adaptation strategies choice. • The DPSIR framework is a valuable tool to understand processes of land use change. • Policy design should support multi-institutional efforts on climate resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The DPSIR framework is used to analyze the cause-effect relationship between urban land expansion and land use policy. • Two abrupt change points in the process of urban land expansion correspond to the socioeconomic transitions in China. • Negative effects have led to the implementation of some farmland protection and land-intensive use policy. • Existing land-use policies show some weaknesses in controlling urban land expansion. Many studies of urban land use have focused on understanding the process and drivers of urban land expansion (ULE). However, these studies rarely examined the long-term trends and abrupt change points of ULE. Moreover, the feedback loop between ULE and land use policy (LUP) has less been investigated. Thus, stakeholders sometimes experience difficulties when utilizing the existing ULE theories in urban land management practices and policy-making. In this study, we used the moving t -test method to detect the trend changes of urban land in China from 1981 to 2015 and a fixed-effects model to recognize the main drivers. The Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework was applied to synthesize the existing knowledge of ULE to understand the interaction between LUP and ULE. Empirical analysis of 224 main cities indicated that China witnessed varying patterns of ULE through three different stages from 1981 to 2015. It revealed that the accelerated conversion of farmland to urban uses, along with inefficiency land use, led to a variety of farmland protection policies and intensive land use policies. In turn, however, these policies possibly affected the drivers of ULE. The impacts of drivers associated with land demand exhibited an increasing trend. Based on our findings, we suggest that land use policies should take the complexity and systematicity of ULE into consideration in urban land management. Overall, the framework, method, and findings of this study can help to increase the effectiveness of land use policy, not only in China but also in other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]