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Human beings use land to provide food,
raw materials and space for housing and recreation. The mining,
agricultural, forestry and tourism sectors also rely heavily on the
land resource base. The condition of the land and how it is used and
managed is therefore vital. Often, ownership of land also affects
how it is used. Historically, much of the prime agricultural land in
the Eastern Cape was reserved for a few commercial farmers, while
the majority of people were forced into areas of marginal land.
These people relied on subsistence farming for survival. In both
subsistence and commercial agriculture, poor land management can
result in land degradation, and loss of the productive potential of
the terrestrial environment. While large parts of the province are
currently unused, the potential for arable agriculture is limited.
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| Land
use and condition |
When land is degraded it loses some of
its productive capacity. Once soil or vegetation is lost, recovery
is difficult and often expensive. Understanding the uses to which
land are put may help to prevent future problems and highlight
existing ones. The indicators for
this issue include:
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| Land ownership |
The land reform process in the Eastern Cape
includes land restitution, land redistribution and land tenure
reform. Major obstacles to the development and management of land
are posed by unresolved issues relating to land tenure, access to
land and jurisdiction. The land indicator that
reflects this is:
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