SHARIFAH S.A. MASTURA
Department of Geography
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
43600 Bangi
Selangor, Malaysia
ABSTRACT / Land-use change models are important tools for
integrated environmental management. Through scenario
analysis they can help to identify near-future critical locations
in the face of environmental change. A dynamic, spatially explicit,
land-use change model is presented for the regional
scale: CLUE-S. The model is specifically developed for the
analysis of land use in small regions (e.g., a watershed or
province) at a fine spatial resolution. The model structure is
based on systems theory to allow the integrated analysis of
land-use change in relation to socio-economic and biophysical
driving factors. The model explicitly addresses the hierarchical
organization of land use systems, spatial connectivity
between locations and stability. Stability is incorporated by a
set of variables that define the relative elasticity of the actual
land-use type to conversion. The user can specify these settings
based on expert knowledge or survey data. Two applications
of the model in the Philippines and Malaysia are used
to illustrate the functioning of the model and its validation.