Land Conservation and the Potential Goal for Food Security in Urban City

Abstract

Population growth and increasing demand for land for urban development have led to the conversion of agricultural land. Land conversion harms the reduction of agricultural areas and indirectly affects food availability, so efforts are needed to preserve it. The study aims to obtain the availability of paddy fields and the conservation strategies. Evaluation of land use change and availability was analyzed by high-resolution SPOT 6/7 satellite imagery data, slope maps, soil type maps, sub-district administrative boundaries maps, raw rice field maps, spatial pattern planning maps, climate data, and criteria for land suitability for food crops. The strategy of conservation of paddy fields based on the wisdom of Subak (Balinese cultural base irrigation system for paddy fields) was analyzed by SWOT. The analysis showed that the converted land areas were 78.5 Ha. The available paddy fields that needed to be conserved were 895.02 Ha, consisting of a moderate suitability class of 556.74 Ha and a very suitable suitability level of 338.28 Ha. The strategy for conservation of paddy fields based on Subak wisdom must be implemented through 1) Developing tourist attractions based on Subak agricultural activities and rituals, 2) Developing a network of cooperation with the government and business people, 3) Implementing strict Subak rules (awig-awig), 4) Encouraging Subak to be more business-oriented through plant diversification that has market prospects.