Agricultural land management in micro territories. Case of the Río Limón in Alto Catatumbo (Colombia)

Abstract

Based on the concern about what territorial factors can be determinant in a process of Agricultural Territorial Planning (OTA) in the Limón River sub-basin, a micro-territory in Alto Catatumbo, in the northeast of Colombia, it was carried out, through the application of techniques of qualitative and quantitative evaluation, a review of the conditions of Rural Territorial Development (DTR), Territorial Governance (GT), performance of Agricultural Production Systems (SPA), Environmental conflicts and Territorial Tensions. The sub-basin is an area shared between three municipalities and two departments, it has a population of around five thousand inhabitants, mostly rural. Agricultural production is its main economic activity and the source of a strong conflict over land and water use. Composite indices of DTR, GT and SPA performance were prepared and applied, olso environmental reports and municipal planning documents were reviewed. The results indicate that the determining factors of the OTA in the sub-basin are related to low levels of social conditions and a weak Territorial Governance, confirm the high conflicts of land and water use and raise the need to objectively define the long-term vision of the territory.

Keywords:
Agricultural Land Management - OTA; Rural Territorial Development - DTR; territorial governance; environmental conflicts; territorial tensions