Land Use Change and Land Expansion Potency for Paddy Field in Cianjur Regency

Perubahan Penggunaan Lahan dan Potensi Perluasan Lahan untuk Sawah di Kabupaten Cianjur

Abstract

Population growth, increasing income, and rapid economic development create the complexity of land issues. The land has a central role in food production, however, demand for land increased significantly to meet the needs of the population. Cianjur Regency is one of the regencies in the southern part of West Java Province with the largest paddy field area. However, paddy field conversion into non-agricultural land or another agricultural land resulted in a decrease in the paddy field area. Therefore, in the context of maintaining the availability of rice in Cianjur Regency, this study aimed to: (1) analyze the patterns of land use/land cover, (2) evaluate land suitability for paddy field, and (3) analyze the potency of land for paddy field expansion. Land-use change was identified using Landsat imagery of 2000 and 2015 by using fusion techniques. Land suitability for the paddy field was analyzed using a limiting factor method. Potential for paddy field expansion was analyzed according to land suitability and agricultural land allocation in official regional land use plan map (“RTRW”). The results showed that in the period of 2000 to 2015, most of the paddy field was converted into settlements. Land suitability classes for the paddy field in Cianjur Regency were not suitable (N) (61.19%), suitable (S2) (9.53%), and marginally suitable (S3)(29.28%). Cianjur Regency still has the potency of land to be used for paddy field expansion of 148,980 ha.

Keywords: Land use change, potential area for paddy field priority, land suitability for paddy field