Role of Geo-referenced Information and Environmental Planning for Sustainable Development in Iran

By providing Geo-referenced information, which serves as an important tool for decision-making in land use planning, national mapping agencies can help provide effective monitoring of environmental resources while in many parts of the world lack adequate information in clear. Their role in sustainability and development planning is thus unique and essential. The National Cartographic Center of Iran offers an example of one such national mapping agency. Accurate information on land and environmental resources is essential to effective land use planning. Key sources of information include topographic maps, aerial photos, satellite images, and data derived from geographic information systems (GIS). At the national level, this information can be used to identify environmental resources, reveal the development potential of the country, and help promote effective ecological studies and sound land use planning with a land use planning approach. This article begins with some general comments on the importance of land use planning, and outlines some current environmental issues and also highlights the connection between roles of Geo-referenced information in land use planning with a sustainable development approach. The discussion describes several key methods of resource identification, with particular emphasis on aerial photography and the existing potential of Iran in this field. The article also discusses the role that the National Cartographic Center plays in developing and promoting geographic information system use