Author(s)

Alireza Gharagozlou, Mahsa Adl

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By providing Geo-referenced information, which serves as an important tool for decision-making in land use planning, national mapping agencies can help provide effective monitoring of environmental resources while in many parts of the world lack adequate information in clear. Their role in sustainability and development planning is thus unique and es- sential. National cartographic centers and national mapping agencies offers example of such national mapping agencies. Accurate information on land and environmental resources is essential to effective land use planning. Key sources of in- formation include topographic maps, aerial photos, satellite images, and data derived from geographic information sys- tems (GIS). At the national level, this information can be used to identify environmental resources, reveal the develop- ment potential of the country, and help promote effective ecological studies and sound land use planning with a land use planning approach. This article begins with some general comments on the importance of land use planning, and outli- nes some current environmental issues and also highlights the connection between roles of Geo-referenced information in land use planning with a sustainable development approach. The discussion describes several key methods of resour- ce identification, with particular emphasis on aerial photography and the existing potentials of Iran in this field. The ar- ticle also discusses the role that the Geo-referenced information and environmental planning play in developing and promoting geographic information system use to sustainable development and finally present proper models to use en- vironmental information and geo-referenced data for sustainable development.

GIS; RS; Land Use Planning; Geo-Referenced Information; Sustainable Development; Environment

A. Gharagozlou and M. Adl, "Environmental and Geo-Referenced Information Modeling for Sustainable Development in Iran," Journal of Geographic Information System, Vol. 4 No. 1, 2012, pp. 27-32. doi: 10.4236/jgis.2012.41004.