FAO unveils updated guidelines for integrated planning of land, soil and water use

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has presented updated Guidelines for Integrated Land Use Planning (ILUP) during the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) in Yerevan. The framework is voluntary and non-binding. It is meant to help countries make more integrated, evidence-based and participatory decisions on how limited land, soil and water resources are used, restored and protected.

The Guidelines respond to growing competition for these resources. They help countries weigh the demands of agriculture, urbanization and infrastructure against conservation, restoration, food and water security, land degradation neutrality, climate resilience and sustainable socioeconomic development.

Complementing existing systems

FAO stresses that the Guidelines are practical and country-driven. They support existing policies, planning processes and institutional arrangements instead of replacing or dictating national planning systems. Countries can adapt tools, indicators and approaches to their own priorities, legal frameworks and circumstances.

This is the first major update since 1993. The new version reflects progress in geospatial technologies, digital information systems, land evaluation, multicriteria analysis and decision-support systems. FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol said that "soil intelligence" is central: combining soil data, mapping, monitoring and local knowledge to guide practical decisions on land use, production, restoration and investment. Stakeholder engagement and inclusive, transparent decision-making are placed at the centre of the planning process.

Next steps

A forthcoming Practitioners' Guide will turn the ILUP nine-step framework into actionable implementation guidance. The Guidelines support the shift towards more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, and offer practical advice for integrated approaches that strengthen synergies among the Rio Conventions while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

FAO developed the Guidelines through an extensive global consultation involving its Members, technical experts and partner organizations from all regions. Their acknowledgement by the FAO Committee on Agriculture at its Thirtieth Session (COAG30) marked an important step towards a more integrated approach to managing land, soil and water.