Jan-Peter Mund

Professional Education Programme for Land Management and Land Administration in Cambodia

Land management and land administration are defined as a system of planning, management and administration methods and techniques that aims to integrate ecological with social, economic and legal principles in the management of land for urban and rural development purposes. The main objective is to meet changing and developing human needs, while simultaneously ensuring long-term productive potential of natural resources together with maintenance of inherent environmental and cultural functions. In the wake of social and political turmoil in Cambodias recent history in the late twentieth century, there is rising demand for land management and land administration that will pave the way for economic development in the country. This results in demand for educated young professionals in the related areas of land management, land administration, surveying and remote sensing. While geographic education in schools will provide this pool of human resource in the long term, the immediate needs can only be met through professional development of existing workers and officers in these areas. It is also through professional development that education for sustainable development (ESD) will have the farthest reach in society, in this case. This article documents a critical geography approach to solving a geographic and environmental education problem. In addition to providing the empirical evidence for the lack of professional geographic education, this article describes how the researchers are agents of change in creatively solving the problem through adopting a professional development approach. The article also assesses the present status of professional development as the mode of ESD in Cambodia and provides a framework for using professional development as a continuing educational mechanism for other developing countries.

Beiträge der Satellitenfernerkundung für ein nachhaltiges und grenzüberschreitendes Wassermanagement in Zentralasien

Das Problem des schrumpfenden Aralsees ist hinlanglich bekannt, wesentliche Auswirkungen sind beschrieben und extensiver Bewasserungsfeldbau in Zentralasien wurde als Hauptursache identifiziert. Zur agrarindustriellen Produktion von Baumwolle wurde seit den fruhen 1960er Jahren entlang der beiden grosen Flusse Amudarja und Syrdarja ein extensives Kanalnetzwerk etabliert. Damit sollte der stetig steigende Wasserbedarf der kontinuierlich wachsenden landwirtschaftlichen Nutzflachen in Zentralasien gedeckt werden. Bis Ende der 1980er Jahre wurde dieses System bis an die moglichen Grenzen der Tragfahigkeit erweitert. Nicht angepasster Wasserverbrauch fuhrt zunehmend zu schweren okologischen und okonomischen Problemen in den Bewasserungsgebieten.