Agriculture is the mainstay of rural populations, especially in the developing world. Increasing population and the demand for food, fodder and fuelwood have threatened the sustainability of the land resources. Without understanding farmers' perceptions on land-related issues, sustainable management of land resources is impossible because they have intimate knowledge of their land. Besides technical solutions to land-related problems, socio-economic appraisal also plays an important role for solutions to these problems.

Spatial modifications should be introduced in areas where members of the local community actively participate in consolidation projects. Social acceptance is the key prerequisite for successful land consolidation. How should the sequence of land consolidation measures be planned in a rural area whose inhabitants have not expressed their opinions about the project? Are the existing criteria, which are applied to evaluate land consolidation measures mostly in agricultural regions, sufficient?

The Zagros region of western Iran has been affected by the recent changes both in amount and in structure of forest cover. We evaluated the influence of several driving forces on forest cover and structure, including socioeconomic (urban and rural population and rural income) and climatic (mean annual rainfall and mean annual temperature) variables. We acquired all time series Landsat images of a study site from 1972 to 2009. The images were classified to produce a land cover map of each year.

The main objective of our research was to assess the social needs for the forest roles and propose how forest could further contribute to the sustainable development of the Upper Gorenjska region. The sustainability of hitherto development was assessed with the aid of a model, in which environmental, social and economic indicators were included. On the basis of advantages and disadvantages, social needs for the forest roles became evident, which were in continuation compared with the existing forest role.

The paper describes the main phases and results of a study which is part of a broader research programme aimed at assessing the changes that have occurred in Italian rural landscapes since the Second World War. The research deals with the definition of a methodology suitable for analysing the changes in the rural built environment over wide areas. This methodology focuses on the definition of representative sample areas aimed to reduce survey costs while allowing results to be characterised by a known and provable degree of reliability and precision.

Rural construction land consolidation (RCLC) is an innovative approach to coordinating the outmigration of a rural population and the increase in rural housing land, thereby protecting farmland and ensuring food security, adding to urban construction land quotas, and improving the rural habitat environment in China. Since 2005, several different models or approaches to RCLC have been practiced by local governments.

The primary data used for the investigation were obtained through a questionnaire. One hundred and twenty (120) farmers were randomly selected; their education level, area of cultivation, time of planting, intercropping, varieties grown, fertilizer used, time of picking, packing, transportation and processing were looked at. It was found that out of 120 respondents, 52% were literate, and 48% were

In Bangladesh, agriculture is the most significant source of economic growth, it plays a fundamental role in the fight against poverty. The earning potential of most people is limited by their lack of skills, assets, and access to credit. The only lasting way is to ensure sustainable economic growth by implementing policies to promote financial stability and the efficient use of resources.